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MAN'JA IS. 

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THE WAR ISLANDS 



CUBA 



AND OTHER 



ISLANDS OF THE SEA 



BY 



EVA M. C. KELLOGG 



EDITED BY 



LARKIN DUNTON, LL.D. 

HEAD MASTER OF THE BOSTON NORMAL SCHOOL 




SILVER, BURDETT & COMPANY 

New York BOSTON Chicago 

1-898 



8232 



Copyright, 1898, 
By SILVER, BURDETT & COMPANY. 



Grl33 




OPIES RECEIVED. 






2n 



698 



J. S. dishing & Co. - Berwick & Smith 
Norwood Musi. U.S.A. 



PREFACE. 



Without a knowledge of Australia and the islands 
of the sea, our idea of the world and its people would be 
very incomplete. The continent of Australia, with only 
a century of growth, is one of the marvels of modern 
times. Its peculiar physical features, its strange flora 
and stranger fauna, give it a distinction not enjoyed by 
sister continents. Used at first only as a penal station, 
it now ranks in civilization and modern improvements 
with the most progressive countries of the world. Its 
resources are limitless, and its possibilities boundless. 
Its people are enterprising and ambitious, but they are 
sufficiently docile and open-minded to learn valuable 
lessons from the experience of older civilizations. 

All of the important islands and groups of islands 
have found a place in this book, with the exception of 
the British Isles and Japan, which have been ably 
treated in this series in connection with the continents 
of which they form, politically, such important parts. 

It is almost needless to say that the author has 
availed herself of the records of the most reliable 
travelers and writers of recent years. Whatever is 
interesting, instructive, and impressive, she has endeav- 
ored to incorporate in this work. In order to prevent 
a dry detail of dates and figures, pen pictures of the 

5 



6 PREFACE. 

— « ■ » — 

people as they are now, with their homes and their 
customs, make up a large part of the book. 

The subject treated is of rare and fascinating interest; 
and to those who have always regarded the islands as 
small and unimportant places on the face of the earth, 
this book will be a revelation. Even their location is 
interesting. They are confined to no particular sea. 
They have the trackless waste of waters for their own, 
and where they will they break its limitless expanse. 
Their formation is often peculiar; while frozen river 
systems, jokuls, hot springs, pitch lakes, luxuriant for- 
ests, or other equally distinctive characteristics give to 
each its own individuality. 

Notwithstanding their diversity, each one is, or has 
been, inhabited by human beings peculiarly adapted to 
the clime in which they were found. They dressed, 
and ate, and lived in accordance with their environ- 
ment. They elicit sympathy, if our own method of 
living is our only standard of happiness. But, when 
seen in their native condition, their crude pastimes seem 
to afford them genuine satisfaction. Attempts to ele- 
vate them in the scale of living have been attended no 
doubt with excellent results ; but in nearly all cases 
the promotion of civilization, as we have it, means ulti- 
mately the extinction of the native tribe. 

The earnest desire of the author is that a careful 
perusal of this book shall result in present pleasure and 
permanent profit to its readers, and in questionings 
which shall lead some to a deeper investigation of the 
social, industrial, and political needs of the people who 
inhabit Australia and the Islands of the Sea. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I. A Pen Picture of -Australia . . . 13 

II. Melbourne 26 

III. Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide . 31 

TV. The Bush 43 

V. Mining and Shepherding 52 

VI. The Great Barrier Coral Reef of Australia 60 

VII. Tasmania 71 

VIII. New Zealand . . . . . . .82 

IX. A Pen Picture of Greenland .... 95 

X. Life in an Igloo 103 

XL A Pen Picture of Iceland . . . . 112 

XII. The Capital, the Council, and the People . 123 

XIII. The Faroes, Shetlands, Orkneys, and Heb- 

rides '. 137 

XIV. Nova Zembla and Other Islands of the 

North 150 

XV. Newfoundland, Cape Breton, and Prince 

Edward Islands 160 

XVI. The Bermudas and the Bahamas . . . 172 

XVII. The West Indies — Cuba 187 

XVIII. Haiti 207 

XIX. Jamaica ......... 213 

XX. Porto Rico . . 220 

7 



8 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER 

XXI. 

xxir. 

XXIII. 

XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 

XXVII. 

XXVIII. 

XXIX. 

XXX. 

XXXI. 

XXXII. 

XXXIII. 

XXXIV. 

XXXV. 

XXXVI. 

XXXVII. 

XXXVIII. 

XXXIX. 

XL. 

XLI. 

XLII. 

XLIII. 

XLIV. 
INDEX . 



Trinidad 

The Lesser Antilles 

Cape Verd Islands and St. Helena 

The Azores 

The Canary and Madeira Islands 

The Channel Islands . 

The Isles of Wight and Man, and Held 

goland 

The Balearic Isles 

Sardinia; Corsica, and Elba 

Sicily and Malta .... 

The Ionian Islands 

Crete and the Grecian Archipelago 

Islands on the East African Coast 

The Laccadive and Maldive Islands 

The Malay Archipelago — Singapore and 

Borneo 

Sumatra and Java 

Timor and New Guinea .... 

The Moluccas and Celebes 

The Philippine Islands .... 

Island Groups of Oceanica 

Samoan, Friendly, and SociETY r Islands . 

The Hawaiian Islands 

tlerra del fuego and other islands of 

South America 

Kurile, Aleutian, and Pribilof Islands . 



PAGE 

226 
233 

242 
248 
255 
266 

273 
282 
288 
299 
314 
319 
330 
344 

350 
360 
369 
374 
378 
383 
403 
418 

431 
437 
445 



MAPS 



Australia, East Indies, and 

Isles of the Pacific, Opp. Title 
North Circumrolar Map . 97 



West Indies, etc. . . 193 

Islands of Mediterranean, 
Indian Ocean, etc. , . 289 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



New Zealand Scenery 

An Australian Aborigine 

Mount Kosciusko, Australian Alps 

An Australian Waterfall 

Miter Peak, New Zealand 

Cliffs on Great Australian Bight 

Government House, Melbourne 

Pitt Street, Sydney 

University of Sydney 

Government House, Brisbane . 

Perth, Western Australia 

King William Street, Adelaide 

Birds of the Bush . 

A Fern Gully, Australia 

Laughing Jackasses .... 

Cockatoos ...... 

Australian Crane .... 

Gold Prospectors .... 

An Australian Warbler 

A Stock Rider ... 

Great Barrier Coral Reef of Australia 

Atoll, or Ring Island 

Coral Formations .... 

Aborigines fishing by Night . 
Cape Pillar, Tasmania . 
Government House, Hobart 
Aborigines of Tasmania . 
Tasman's Arch ..... 

QUEENSTOWN, New ZEALAND 

Maori Warclub .... 

Wellington, New Zealand 
Maori Woman and Child 

ROTOMAHAMA HOT SPRINGS, NEW ZeALAN 

Auckland, New Zealand . 

Christchurch, New Zealand . 

Hot Water Basins, White Terrace, New Z 

Maori Idols, New Zealand 

A Greenland Guide .... 

In Greenland Waters 

The Governor's Home, Greenland 

A Greenland Glacier 

An Old Greenland Ruin . 

A Native Greenlander . 

Umanak Church .... 

Umanak Village and Fiord 

An Ice Giant ..... 

A Geyser ..... 

Port of Reikiavik, Iceland . 

Great Chasm worn by a Glacier . 

9 



PAGE 

12 

13 

16 

19 

21 

24 

29 

32 

35 

37 

39 

41 

43 

45 

47 

48 

49 

53 

55 

58 

61 

65 

68 

71 

73 

75 

77 

79 

81 

82 

83 

85 

87 

89 

91 

93 

94 

95 

97 

100 

102 

104 

105 

107 

110 

113 

121 

124 

127 



10 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Thor, the Norsk God of Thunder. 

Odin, the Chief God in Norse Mythology 

A Native of the Faroe Islands 

Hoy Express, Orkney Islands 

Stromness, Orkney Islands 

Tomes, Shetland Islands 

A Croft in the Hebrides 

A Srve Octogenarian and his Grandson 

Staff a ...... 

a sl'itzbergen glacier 

nordenskjold in the arctic seas . 

A Fisherman's Camp, Newfoundland 

Queen's Square Gardens, Charlottetown 

The Land of White Houses 

Avenue of Palms in the Bahamas 

Avenue of Spanish Laurels 

Shore Road, Nassau 

Donkey Express, Bahamas 

A Native Hut, Grant's Town 

A Cuban Sugar Plantation 

A Casino near Havana 

Port of Santiago de Cuba 

Plaza, Cienfuegos 

Cutting Sugar Cane, Haiti 

Kingston, Jamaica 

Coolies preparing Rice, Jamaica . 

A Country Road in Porto Rico 

Trunk of a Silk-cotton Tree 

Cabbage Palms, Trinidad 

Breadfruit, Barbados 

St. Helena ..... 

Napoleon's Tomb, St. Helena 

St. Michael, Azores 

Preparing Yarn for the Loom 

Eavalese Costumes, Azores 

Returning from Market . 

A Carrinho, Madeira 

A Carro, Madeira .... 

Tennyson's House, Isle of Wight . 
Heligoland ..... 

A Man of the Balearic Islands . 
A Woman of the Balearic Islands 
Tunny Fishing, Sardinia . 
A Woman of Sardinia 

Calvi, Corsica 

Birthplace of Napoleon, Corsica . 
Elba ....... 

Catania and Mount Etna 

Sicilian Types ..... 

Palermo, Sicily .... 



PAGE 

131 
133 

138 
110 
142 
144 
146 
147 
149 
152 
154 
102 
170 
173 
178 
180 
181 
183 
185 
189 
104 
198 
205 
208 
214 
219 
223 
228 
232 
235 
244 
246 
249 
251 
252 
254 
260 
263 
277 
280 
283 
286 
289 
291 
293 
296 
298 
300 
303 
305 



LiST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



11 



The Cathedral, Palermo 

Malta . 

A Street in Malta 

The Gate of Corfu 

Island of Scio . 

A Hova Woman and Child 

Tattooing a Chief, Madagascar 

A Fakir of Zanzibar 

A Zanzibar Village 

Palm Grove and Natives, Laccadfv 

A Sultan of Borneo 

Elephant at Work, Singapore 

A Dyak of Borneo . 

A Young Antelope, Sumatra . 

A Girl of Sumatra . 

Drying Coffee, Java 

A Javanese Pruit Girl . 

East Point, Java 

A New Guinea Council House 

Port Moresby, New Guinea . 

The Calao, Moluccas 

Vegetation and Malay Types in C 

Mestizo Girls, Manila 

Volcano of Mayon, Philippine Isl 

Hogolen Islanders in Canoe . 

Native Sword and Drums 

Native of the Solomon Islands 

A Tambu House, Solomon Islands 

Sugar Loaf Mountain, Piji Islan 

Native Canoe, Fiji Islands 

Pan Palm, New Hebrides 

House in New Caledonia 

A New Caledonia Fisherman 

House of the King, Samoa 

Samoan Princesses 

Harbor of Pango-Pango, Samoa 

A Lane in Samoa 

Native House, Friendly^ Islands 

A Woman of the Friendly Islands 

Island of Tahiti 

Native Canoes, Hawaiian Islands 

A Cocoanut Grove, Hawaiian Isla 

A Grass Hut, Hawaiian Islands 

Native Musicians, Hawaii 

Avenue of Royal Date Palms 

A Hawaiian Belle . 

Yahgans ..... 

Natives of the Falkland Islands 

Cape Horn ..... 

A Kurile Mother and Child . 

Aleutian Islanders . 



DS 



e Is 



lands 



ELEBES 
\NDS 



PAGE 

307 
310 
312 
315 
325 
332 
334 
341 
343 
346 
352 
355 
359 
361 
362 
364 
366 
367 
370 
372 
375 
377 
380 
382 
384 
387 
390 
391 
394 
396 
398 
400 
402 
404 
407 
409 
411 
413 
415 
417 
419 
421 
423 
425 
427 
430 
432 
435 
436 
438 
411 



ATJSTKALIA AND THE ISLANDS 

OF THE SEA. 



-o-o^SeJoo- 



CHAPTER I. 



A PEN PICTURE OF AUSTRALIA. 



HE island-continent 
of Australia, with 
its record of but 
one century of 
colonization, is no 
(/ longer the "great un- 
known land " which 
until lately it has been 
to the inhabitants of 
sister continents. The 
growth of its commerce, 



and the great advance made 
along the line of intercom- 
munication, have practically 
bridged over the thousands 
of miles which separate it 
from the rest of the world. 
They have tended also to spread the knowledge of its 
colonial affairs, which until recently has been confined 
to those directly interested in the country. 

13 




AN AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINE. 



14" THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



The general physical characteristics of Australia are 
the prevalence of far-reaching plains, and the absence, 
with the exception of the Murray, of rivers of any im- 
portance. 

We are told by geologists that the oldest parts of 
this country are two long narrow strips of high land. 
These are the Pacific Slope, which is the smaller one, 
and the Indian Slope, better known as the coastal range 
of Western Australia. By a slow upheaval of the in- 
tervening space, these two islands, separated by a dis- 
tance of two thousand miles or more, were finally 
united. 

By some geographers, Australia is treated as an 
island, the largest island of the globe ; but its propor- 
tions are so vast that, by general consent, it is now 
regarded as a continent, and is so classed in all recent 
geographies. It is known as the Australian or South- 
eastern Continent. 

Australia lies in the southern hemisphere, reaching 
nearly from the tenth to the fortieth degree of south 
latitude, and the Tropic of Capricorn passes through 
its center. It is situated southeast of Asia, and is 
bounded on the north by the Indian Ocean, Timor Sea, 
Arafura Sea, Torres Strait, and the Gulf of Carpen- 
taria ; on the east, by the Coral Sea and the Pacific 
Ocean ; on the south, by Bass Strait and the Great 
Australian Bight ; and on the west, by the Indian 
Ocean. 

Its greatest length, which is from east to west, is 
twenty-four hundred miles, and its greatest breadth 
about eighteen hundred. It has an area of nearly three 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 15 



million square miles, and the length of its coast line 
is about eight thousand miles. 

It is about one hundred years since the first European 
settlements were made in this great southern land. 
There was not much at first to invite settlement. The 
country was utterly isolated. Few rivers flowed from 
the interior, which made it exceedingly difficult of 
penetration. Gold was discovered there in 1851, and 
within the half century since, the enterprise and courage 
of the English have fringed the shores with colonies, 
several of which are both more powerful and more 
wealthy than some of the old, established states of 
Europe. Its chief cities are of the first order in every 
respect, and its population numbers upwards of three 
millions. Its trade is immense, and it has millions of 
acres of land under cultivation. Thousands of miles 
of railroad have been built, and the submarine tele- 
graph unites Australia with every other part of the 
world.. 

Australia is singularly compact ; and when its great 
extent is taken into account, it presents little variety 
of surface or irregularity of outline. The only remark- 
able indentation is that made by the Gulf of Carpen- 
taria on the north coast, which is the most broken of 
any. This gulf penetrates inland five hundred miles 
from Cape York on the east, and four hundred from 
Cape Arnhem on the west. Though there are several 
other good harbors and capacious bays, yet all of them 
taken together hardly equal this one. Spencer Gulf 
and the Gulf of St. Vincent, both on the south coast, 
are next in size. 



16 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 17 



The mountains run north and south, at a distance 
of from twenty to one hundred miles from the coast, 
rising from two thousand five hundred to four thousand 
five hundred feet in rough, inaccessible elevations. The 
highest peak yet discovered, Mount Kosciusko, in the 
Australian Alps, is in the southeast, and measures 
seven thousand three hundred feet. The valleys 
along the coast are rich and well-watered, but out 
of the reach of the sea breezes the country is arid 
and waterless. The mountains of the west coast, 
which are inferior to those of the east, approach nearer 
the coast line. 

Along the shore of the Great Australian Bight are 
sand cliffs from two hundred to four hundred feet 
in height. Behind these cliffs are waterless plains, 
which depend upon the uncertain rainfall for moisture. 
Throughout the whole length of the Great Australian 
Bight, not even the smallest rivulet empties into the 
sea. Certain portions of the north shore are low 
and flat. The land on all four sides descends gradu- 
ally to the interior, which consists of immense level 
plains elevated but little above the sea, and unbroken 
except by hills in the northeast, by gum tree forests, 
and by other herbage, which, in Australia, is termed 
"bush." Some of these plains are deserts, and are 
likely to remain such, as there is no water with which 
they may be irrigated. Others are like South American 
llanos or Russian steppes, only not so high. In the 
rainless season, which occurs at uncertain intervals, 
they are sandy or stony wastes ; but at other times 
they are covered with a fair amount of grass. There 



18 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



are, however, strips of tolerably well-watered land 
throughout the interior. 

The rivers of the east coast of Australia are peren- 
nial, but are not navigable, even for small vessels, more 
than seventy miles inland. Those of the west coast 
often dry up during the dry season, and become a series 
of water holes. The Murray is the largest of the 
rivers, and is nearly eleven hundred miles in length. 
It is formed by the union of smaller streams and rivers, 
and may be navigated for more than eight hundred 
miles during the wet season. It drains the southeast 
part of the country, and discharges its waters into the 
Gulf of St. Vincent on the south coast. There are no 
large rivers in the interior, and most of the creeks, 
like the Stuart, which is three hundred miles long, flow 
for a considerable distance and then dwindle away or 
else end in salt lakes. Sometimes they become mere 
chains of ponds or water holes, which are valuable to 
the settler, as they supply him with water until the river 
fills again. The conformation of the interior is peculiar, 
perhaps owing to the fact of the land having been, at a 
comparatively recent period, the bed of the ocean. 

The lakes of Australia scarcely deserve the name. 
The largest of them resemble marshes, and depend for 
their supply of water upon the rivers which flow into 
them, instead of being themselves the sources of rivers. 
As a result they are often dried up, and present the 
appearance of vast, reedy swamps. Even when filled 
with water, they are more like submerged flats than 
lakes, and have such low muddy shores as to render the 
water unapproachable. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



19 




AN AUSTRALIAN WATERFALL. 



20 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



Australia is as peculiar in regard to climate as in 
other features. From the sterile central plains come 
burning hot winds, which fill the air with a fine dust, 
and raise the temperature to one hundred and ten, and 
even one hundred and twenty, in the shade, between 
latitudes twenty-five and thirty-five. But though the 
state of the temperature seems almost incredible, look- 
ing merely at figures, the people do not suffer nearly 
as much as they would if the mercury in the ther- 
mometer were lower and the amount of moisture in the 
air greater. In a country of such extent, the temper- 
ature necessarily varies a great deal. In New South 
Wales the average temperature of spring is sixty-five 
degrees ; of summer, seventy-two ; of autumn, sixty- 
six ; and of winter, fifty-five. In general the winters 
are everywhere so mild that cattle seldom need housing. 

Politically, the country is divided into five parts. 
Western Australia comprises the western third. South 
Australia with its Northern Territory takes in nearly 
a third more. The eastern third is divided into three 
colonies of unequal size : Queensland, the largest, is on 
the north ; New South Wales, the next in size, is in 
the center ; and Victoria, the smallest, is at the South. 

The colonies are directed by a Governor appointed 
for each by the Crown, and by a Legislative Council 
and Assembly, one or the other body being elected by 
the people. 

Within the past few years the subject of Australian 
Federation has been greatly agitated, and on several 
different occasions, conferences, either by delegates or 
by premiers of the various colonies, have been held for 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



21 




22 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



the purpose of ascertaining whether some method of 
union were not feasible. The last of these conferences 
was held at Hobart, Tasmania, in January, 1895, at 
which it was agreed "that an identical bill, termed 
the Australian Federal Enabling Act, should be intro- 
duced into the Parliaments of the various colonies, 
and if it should meet the approval of not less than 
three of them, then the proceedings toward drafting 
a constitution Avere to be forthwith agreed upon." 

It was hoped that Tasmania and New Zealand 
would join with the five colonies of Australia in per- 
fecting such a scheme. But the government of New 
Zealand insisted that such a course was inexpedient, 
since, although they had a number of common imperial 
interests, they had few if any local interests. There- 
fore New Zealand was omitted from the plan. But in 
case it should wish to join the federation at a later date, 
should such a form of government be established, it 
would be at liberty to do so. The bill proposed " that 
each of the remaining colonies should elect, at a popu- 
lar election, ten delegates, who were to meet on the 
last day of March for the purpose of drafting a federal 
constitution. When a draft of this great charter had 
been prepared, the convention was to adjourn for not 
more than sixty days, for the purpose of having the 
draft submitted to popular criticism, with a view of 
rinding out the extent of approval or disapproval it 
met with." 

In accordance with the provision of the bill, this 
convention met on the last day of March, 1897. After 
the completion of its work and the expiration of the 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 23 



recess, the convention will hold another session, perfect 
the draft, and submit it to the people. Within a 
limited time they will vote upon its acceptance, " the 
popular approval carrying the measure without any 
further reference to the colonial Parliaments." 

Though all the colonies did not take part in prepar- 
ing the federal constitution, they will doubtless come 
within the bounds of the federation finally, if three or 
four of them lead the way at present by adopting the 
constitution. The insurmountable difficulty in the 
past, and the one which threatens to embarrass present 
action, is the strong feeling, prevalent in all the colo- 
nies, in favor of local independence, and the fear that 
union will deprive them of some privileges which they 
now enjoy. 

Thus, Tasmania and South Australia fear that the 
" policy of the federation" may be dictated too largely 
by their more wealthy and populous neighbors, Victoria 
and New South Wales. Queensland is tender upon the 
labor question. Much sugar is raised within its limits, 
and the laborers are largely south sea islanders who 
work for low wages. Wealthy owners of large planta- 
tions, who possess considerable power at Brisbane, are 
afraid that a federal government, which looked at things 
from a national rather than a local standpoint, might 
impose upon them undesirable restrictions. There 
exist in Australia to-day conditions very similar to 
those which existed in our country at the time of the 
drafting of the constitution of the United States. 

Federation in Australia will probably not be possible 
unless each colony is accorded equal representation in 



24 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 25 



the Senate. The intention at present is to allow each 
colony to choose six senators. These will probably be 
elected ; " for, unlike the Canadian system, the Austra- 
lian federation is to be popular in both branches of 
Parliament." It has not yet been made known under 
what conditions the lower branch of Parliament will be 
elected, but the probability is that the two branches of 
Parliament will bear a reasonably close resemblance to 
the Senate and the House of Representatives of the 
United States. 

There are many powerful arguments in favor of a 
well-considered combination, and no argument can be 
cited against this mode of union, if federation is placed 
on such a footing as will harmonize with the internal 
self-government of each colony. 

The aborigines of Australia belonged to the negro 
race. They, were lithe and agile, and not so stoutly 
built as the Africans. They were of a chocolate color, 
and had small 'heads, with long, coarse, black hair, and 
large, full, penetrating eyes, and they were tolerably 
quick of apprehension. Some of the tribes were mild 
and gentle, while others were cruel and vindictive. 
They have, however, almost disappeared before the 
march of civilization. 



26 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 

CHAPTER II. 

MELBOURNE. 

Gold made Victoria, and Melbourne owes its rapid 
growth to the same precious metal. Melbourne stands 
on Port Philip Bay, near the mouth of the Yarra River. 
It is the capital of Victoria, and the chief city of Aus- 
tralia, with a population of 450,000. 

Having rounded Cape Otway, the southern extremity 
of Victoria, we soon reach the Heads at the entrance 
of Port Philip. These are low necks of sandy hillocks 
guarding the entrance to the bay. On one side is 
Point Lonsdale, and on the other Point Nepean, upon 
each of which strong fortifications have been erected. 
Farther on is the village of Queenscliff, built on a bit 
of abrupt headland. Cozy dwellings appear nestled 
down amid well-cultivated hills, and the village church 
is a pleasing object in the more distant landscape. 

But Ave are rapidly losing sight of land, for Port 
Philip is a spacious inlet thirty-live miles long by 
twenty-five broad, and we are sailing straight for its 
most northern shore. As we near it, the port of Wil- 
liamstown comes in sight. Its crowded masts indicate 
that it is full of shipping. On the right is the village 
of St. Kilcla, and farther round is Brighton. Sandridge, 
lying straight ahead of us, is the landing place of Mel- 
bourne. Over the masts of its shipping, our attention 
is called to a mass of houses in the distance, and we are 
told that there is the city of Melbourne. 

We are soon alongside the large wooden railway pier 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 27 



of Sandridge. We buy our tickets for Melbourne two 
miles away, and in less than fifteen minutes are safely 
landed in the largest city in the southern hemisphere. 

The scenery around Melbourne is not remarkable, 
but the internal appearance of the city is magnificent. 
It is built upon two hills and in the broad valley which 
separates them, and is laid out on the rectangular plan. 
The streets are all straight and of great width, and 
large spaces within the city limits are devoted to 
public gardens. 

Collins and Bourke streets are usually considered to 
rank first. As we walk down Bourke Street, we pass 
an imposing structure which, though deserted in the 
daytime, is crowded in the evening with a richly dressed 
throng. It is the Royal Theater. Farther up the 
street we come to the market place, where crowds of 
people are moving about. Trade seems to be brisk, 
judging by the way the vegetables, fruit, and meat are 
changing hands. At the farther end of the street 
everything is much more quiet. There, in a large open 
space, stand the Parliament Houses, which were built 
at a cost of two million dollars. 

Standing on the high ground at one end of Collins 
Street, and looking down through the valley and up the 
hill on the other side, Ave obtain a striking view. This 
street is not less than a mile long. Here and there on 
each side of it are grand edifices used as bank buildings. 
On the farther hill we note a white, palatial structure 
with a richly ornamented facade and tower. This is 
the Town Hall. The Bourke and Wills monument, 
erected in memory of two brave men who lost their 



28 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



lives when exploring the interior of the country, stands 
in the center of the roadway ; while, at the very end 
of the perspective, rises the handsome gray front of the 
Treasury building. 

We must remember, however, that Melbourne is a 
young city. Less than sixty years ago the aborigines 
used to hold their savage meetings on the very ground 
where the University now stands. And so it happens 
that, as yet, there is no street which is magnificent 
throughout ; for between large imposing structures 
we sometimes see small, insignificant buildings, that 
remind us of the earliest days of the city. 

There is little that bespeaks extreme poverty, and 
beggars are unknown. Work is plentiful, and no 
one can complain of being unable to find something to 
do. The poorest part of the city is the Chinese quar- 
ter. Here the streets are narrower and dirtier than 
anywhere else, and you may see the yellow-faced Mon- 
golians standing and jabbering at their doors, — a very 
novel sight. 

Melbourne is justly proud of its public institutions. 
Among these, the Library ranks first. It contains more 
than sixty thousand volumes, and is free to all the peo- 
ple from ten in the forenoon until ten at night. Here, 
in the evening, you may see the workingmen in their 
working dress. As many as five hundred workingmen 
visit the Library daily. The only requirements are that 
they shall sign their names on entering, and observe 
proper behavior while they remain. The Victorian 
Collection of pictures is in the same building, and the 
galleries are very attractive. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



29 




30 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



The Post Office is another splendid building, and 
one of the most commodious institutions of its kind in 
the world. The University has hardly attained the suc- 
cess that the Library has had. The building is a mod- 
est, quadrangular one, three sides of which have been 
completed. These contain the lecture rooms, a library, 
and the residences of the professors. Behind this build- 
ing stands the Museum, which is open to the public 
without charge. 

But the most attractive part of Melbourne is its sea- 
shore, especially in its pretty, rapidly growing suburbs 
along the shores of Port Philip. St. Kilda is but three 
miles from the city, and is a favorite resort of the peo- 
ple. Many of them reside here, and go back and forth 
to their business houses. A fine promenade runs along 
the beach, and the bathing is unusually good. Large 
inclosures surrounded by piles are built for the bathers, 
and above them, raised high on platforms, are commo- 
dious dressing rooms. The beach has a sandy bottom, 
and slopes gently from the shore to any depth of water, 
affording a fine opportunity for swimmers. They must, 
however, be careful not to encounter the " cobbler." 
This creature is like a small octopus. It has legs, or 
arms, nearly equal in size and very long in proportion to 
its body. They are used for creeping on the land, 
swimming in the water, and seizing its prey. If it 
comes near any one, it will administer a sharp slap, at 
the same time squirting out a horrid, acrid juice. A 
thick rash quickly follows this infliction, accompanied 
by swelling and much pain, and for a while the delights 
of bathing have to be foregone. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 31 



CHAPTER III. 

SYDNEY, BRISBANE, PERTH, AND ADELAIDE. 

Notwithstanding the fact that Melbourne is the 
phenomenal city of Australia, there are others as 
worthy of description. These have had as marvelous, 
if not as rapid, a growth, and have had much to do 
with the general development of the continent. 

One of these is Sydney. It is the capital of New 
South Wales, and is the oldest city in Australia. It 
has a population, including its suburbs, of over 408,500. 
It is a well-built city, with fine, broad streets and im- 
posing public buildings, which, combined with its com- 
manding situation on a splendid harbor, has gained for 
it the title of " The Queen of the South." 

Sydney is situated on Port Jackson, near the thirty- 
fourth degree of south latitude. The choice of this 
precise spot for settlement was determined by the cir- 
cumstance of a stream of fresh water being found 
there, flowing into a deep inlet, afterward known as 
Sydney Cove, one of the numerous bays into which 
Port Jackson is divided. 

This last-mentioned body of water forms a magnifi- 
cent harbor, extending some twenty miles inland. It 
is completely landlocked, and can be entered only 
through a narrow passageway between the " Heads," 
as they are termed. It accommodates vessels of the 
largest size. Its shores present a succession of pictur- 
esque landscapes. The cliffs which form the general 
outline of the harbor often rise to the height of two 



32 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



hundred and fifty feet. In the intervening spaces the 
shore consists of terraces and smooth sandy beaches. 

There are, perhaps, few places more suitable for the 
foundation of a great metropolis. The city is situated 
at a distance of about eight miles from the sea, and the 
whole circumference of the bay around which it is built 




PITT STREET, SYDNEY. 



forms a series of natural wharfs, where ships of two 
thousand tons' burden may be moored within a distance 
of twenty yards of the shore. 

Sydney stands near the center, north and south, of 
the immense coal region of Australia, which extends 
five hundred miles from north to south, and has a 
breadth of from eighty to one hundred miles. Large 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 33 



quantities of coal, for colonial use and for export, are 
mined within one hundred miles of the city. The 
sandstone rock, upon which the city is built, affords 
much valuable building material. 

Sydney now consists of three distinct districts : First, 
the Old City, in which are George Street and other 
streets named after early governors. Here we find the 
Houses of Parliament, the Treasury buildings, and the 
Government House with its park and botanic gardens. 
The Houses of Parliament are rather disappointing in 
appearance. The Lower House is small, and in its 
arrangement resembles a music hall. The Government 
House is situated on a promontory commanding a view 
of the bay. On one side is Farm Cove, and on the 
other is Sydney Cove, where the large liners debark 
their passengers. The Government House is very 
different from that in Melbourne. It is like an ordi- 
nary English country house, and, though comfortable 
enough, is rather inadequate to meet the present re- 
quirements of this growing place. The other impor- 
tant buildings in Sydney are the large and imposing 
Town Hall, the Museum, and the railway station. 
There are several theaters, many handsome banks, the 
Exchange, and a number of elegant private residences. 

The second division of Sydney is called Wooloomoo- 
loo. This is the fashionable quarter, and abounds in 
beautiful homes. Further away we come across nu- 
merous small watering places dotted about the harbor, 
the Parramatta, and Botany Bay. 

The third division is called North Shore and is 
reached by steam ferry from Sydney Cove in ten min- 



34 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



utes. Beside the city proper, Sydney has extensive 
suburbs, some of which are called by English names, 
such as Hyde Park, Victoria Park, and Paddington, 
while others have been given native names sometimes 
difficult of pronunciation. 

The people of Sydney believe in their own city, and 
entertain their own opinions about the " vaunted supe- 
riority " of Melbourne ; and truly there is much to 
justify their pride. Nature has done much for Sydney. 
From nearly every point may be seen the blue waters 
of its winding harbor; and the sunshine, as it lights 
up varied hues in sea and sky, seems as tender as that 
of Naples or Athens. The neighborhood of the city 
is charming. Every nook in the adjacent bay is stud- 
ded with handsome villas or comfortable cottages. 
" The walks immediately around the city are unsur- 
passed for picturesqueness, while the public gardens 
probably excel any in the world, owing- to their com- 
bination of sea and land, hill and valley, rock and 
wood and grassy slopes, with a climate that permits all 
the beautiful forms of vegetation both of tropical and 
temperate zones to luxuriate side by side." 

The parks are many in number. Among them the 
most important are the Botanical Gardens, covering 
thirty-eight acres, exceedingly rich and beautiful ; 
Prince Alfred Park, Belmore Park, and Hyde Park,— 
the last named an open, treeless plateau near the center 
of the city. The two largest parks are the Domain, 
a fine expanse of one hundred and thirty-eight acres on 
the northeast side of the city, and the Moor, a tract of 
twenty-five hundred acres southeast of the city. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



35 




36 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



The educational system of New South Wales con- 
sists of primary schools, the grammar school, and the 
University. By far the most important edifice among 
public buildings, not only in Sydney, but in the whole 
of Australia, is the University, which stands on a com- 
manding height, and in the center of a domain of one 
hundred and fifty acres. The principal facade is five 
hundred feet long, and is flanked by a great hall at its 
western end. Lectures are delivered daily during each 
term on classics, logic, history, chemistry, natural and 
experimental philosophy, and jurisprudence. The Uni- 
versity was erected out of private funds, and has a per- 
manent endowment of five thousand pounds a year 
from the civil list. Instruction is limited to purely 
secular teaching. 

Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, is situated on a 
river of the same name, about twenty -five miles from 
its mouth in Moreton Bay. It is near the twenty- 
seventh degree of south latitude, and more than five 
hundred miles north of Sydney. Including its suburbs, 
the city covers a very large area. 

Although the population of the city proper is small, 
being only twenty-six thousand, yet, including South 
Brisbane, Rockhampton, and other suburbs within a 
radius of ten miles, there is a population of over one 
hundred thousand. The city is well supplied with 
public buildings. The Houses of the Legislature, still 
incomplete, have already cost <£100,000. Beside these 
there are the Government House, the General Post 
Office, the Museum, Town Hall, and Custom House, 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



37 



beside two theaters, an opera house, several concert 
halls, and half a dozen fine bank edifices. 

There is a noble iron bridge across the Brisbane 
River, more than one thousand feet long, with two swing 
openings of sixty and one half feet each, to allow the 
passage of ships. The actual city, surrounded on three 
sides by this river, is a well-built town laid out in 
streets which cross at right angles. Those which run 




GOVERNMENT HOUSE, BRISBANE. 



north and south are called by men's names, as William 
Street and George Street. Those running east and 
west assume the names of the fairer sex, as Alice Street 
and Margaret Street, the center and principal one being 
called Queen Street. 

There are several clubs, that known as the Queens- 
land Club being one of the finest in Australia. In the 
suburbs many forms of sport are indulged in, among 
which are pony races and dingo hunts. 



38 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



The people of Brisbane delight in social gatherings 
and dances, both public and private, and entertainments 
are in vogue throughout the season. The Queen's 
birthday is always a great event in Australia, and its 
celebration in Brisbane is thus described by Mr. Baden- 
Powell, an English scientific writer : — 

" It generally starts off with a great school feast. 
Some thousands of school children assemble in the Do- 
main, and have a great day of it. At a given time the 
Governor arrives upon the scene to deliver an address, 
and on mounting a platform is received with solemn 
cheers ; but when on one occasion, I humbly followed 
him, arrayed in regimental uniform and wearing a bear- 
skin, roars of laughter from thousands of young throats 
rose to the skies, and ' the man in the big hat ' was 
voted quite the most comical part of the show. 

" A review of the troops is the next event of the pro- 
gramme, and a really very fine display they make. 
Then follows a levee at the Government House, all the 
gentlemen unable to raise uniforms having to appear in 
evening dress. 

" After this the Governor has to attend in a sort of 
semi-state the great race meeting of the year. Escorted 
by mounted orderlies, and a detachment of mounted 
police, he drives up the center of the course a la Prince 
at Ascot, and is received by the president and stewards 
of the Turf Club. But before the racing is over a 
return has to be made to Government House, in order 
to prepare for a big dinner given to all the principal 
Government officials. It is a great relief to get this 
day over." 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



39 




40 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



Perth is the caj)ital of Western Australia, which, of 
all the Australian colonies, has the most extensive area, 
being nearly one third of the entire continent. At the 
same time, it has the smallest population. About forty 
per cent of the entire population of Western Australia 
resides in Perth and in villages within twenty miles of 
the capital city. Perth alone has about 20,000 inhabi- 
tants. Freemantle, the port of Perth, twelve miles dis- 
tant at the mouth of the Swan River, has a population 
of 9500, and is the second city in size in the colony. 

The city of Perth is picturesquely situated on the 
Swan River, about twelve miles from the sea. It 
presents a striking appearance, being built on sloping 
ground above a fine lake-like reach of the river. It is 
well laid out and beautifully planted. There are a few 
imposing public buildings, including two cathedrals. 
The City Hall, containing the Legislative Chambers, 
was erected recently by convict labor. The princi- 
pal street is nearly two miles long, and is planted with 
Cape lilac, a beautiful flowering tree. An excellent 
macadamized road connects the city with the port of 
Freemantle ; and it is united with all the settled dis- 
tricts of the colony by railway and telegraph. 

The country surrounding Perth is rocky and hilly, 
covered with heather and rough grass, and it has, on 
the whole, quite a Scotch look. The chief diversion 
of the ladies is gathering wild flowers, which grow in 
profusion over the slopes. 

Adelaide is the capital of South Australia, and has 
with its immediate environs a population of 144,000. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



41 




42 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



It was founded in 1837 by Colonel Light, who named 
it after the wife of King William IV. 

Adelaide is situated some seven miles inland on both 
sides of the Torrens River, and is connected with Port 
Adelaide by railway. Much intelligent foresight was 
manifested in laying out the original plan of the sur- 
vey. Adelaide is built in a regular pattern, the streets 
running at right angles with one another. One half 
of the city is the business quarter, and the other is 
covered by residences. A strip of park land, half a 
mile wide, separates these two portions. Through the 
center of this the Torrens flows. Originally this 
stream was looked upon as a nuisance, as, according to 
the season of the year, it was either a muddy creek or 
a flooded flat. Much money and labor were expended 
upon earthworks to bring it under control, and now a 
sheet of water, spanned by several bridges, extends for 
two miles through the city. The sanitary system of 
the city is of a superior order. 

The Mount Lofty range lies a few miles eastward, 
and in these hills reservoirs have been constructed, 
which are capable of storing more than a billion gallons 
of water for the accommodation of the city. Beside 
being well supplied with local railways, Adelaide is 
connected with the whole railway system of Australia. 

Exactly in the center of the city is Victoria Square. 
Beside this there are four other squares similar to it, 
lying toward the four corners of the town. The prin- 
cipal thoroughfare, King William Street, runs through 
the center, passing through Victoria Square. The 
chief buildings of the city, some of which are noted 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



43 



for fine architectural design, are situated on this street. 
Adelaide is a busy place, and boasts an unusual num- 
ber of churches, a university, three colleges, and a 
botanical garden which covers one hundred and twenty 
acres of land. 



CHAPTER IV. 
THE BUSH. 




ITHIN the 
interior of 
Australia is 
a great, un- 
cleared, natural 
forest known as 
"The Bush." On 
most sides it begins 
at the coast and ex- 
tends for many, 
many miles in- 
land. If we 
should sail around 
Australia, the view from 
the sea would be dull and 
monotonous. There are 
trees, trees, and nothing 
but trees, as far as the 



44 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



eye can see in any direction. All the land seems to 
be covered with trees. No green hills or pieces of open 
country break the sameness. Everywhere is seen the 
gloomy, somber shade of the Australian forest. 

In the interior, the bush does not prevail. Here the 
country is more like a wild, natural park. Great sand 
ridges, lying parallel with one another, reach across the 
plains, and these are covered, at certain seasons of the 
year, with a great variety of grasses and flowers, inter- 
spersed here and there with shrubs and clusters of 
trees. 

The bush is for the most part a carpeted forest. 
There is no damp, miry soil and decaying vegetation 
here. Instead, natural grasses cover the ground, and 
their hardy roots strike deep into the stony earth ; 
while overhead stretches a canopy of never-fading 
green, — for, with few exceptions, the trees do not lose 
their leaves in the winter time. ' 

Here is a gigantic tree rising to the height of one 
hundred and fifty or two hundred feet. Its leaves 
have a leathery appearance, and contain a large quantity 
of aromatic oil. Instead of growing horizontal, with 
one of the surfaces toward the sky, and the other 
toward the earth, these leaves are vertical, so that each 
side is equally exposed to the light. This is the red 
gum tree, or iron bark tree. If a hole is cut in the 
bark, a red juice flows freely and hardens in the air 
into an inodorous, transparent mass, almost black when 
large, but of a beautiful ruby red in small or thin 
fragments. 

The stringy-bark tree is also striking in appearance. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



45 




A FERN GULLY, AUSTRALIA. 



It attains a lofty height and yields a beautiful red gum, 
which is found tilling the cavities in the stem, between 
the concentric circles of wood. The timber of the gum 
trees cannot be used for cabinet-making purposes. 
But farther inland there are many trees which are very 



46 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



good for this purpose, such as the cedar, satinwood, 
pine, and rosewood. 

The myall is a small tree with close-grained wood, 
strongly scented, and is highly prized for making spears 
and handles for whipstocks. Cattle are fond of eating 
the leaves, and, as a result " myall country " is very 
much prized. The apple tree has no apples upon it. 
It is so named because its leaves bear a strong resem- 
blance to those of the ordinary apple tree. The cherry 
tree, so called, is only a large shrub of the pine species 
with small red berries upon it. There are other trees 
whose names are misleading. The oak resembles a 
pine tree, and is never found except beside a creek 
or river. The honeysuckle tree doubtless received its 
name on account of its bright and shining leaves. 

Here is a very peculiar-looking tree with a curious 
name ; it is the "black boy." The stem runs up tall 
and straight, and is topped with a shaggy green head. 
The trunk is the peculiar part. A slender pith stick 
runs through it, and around this stick is set a sort of 
ring, five or six inches wide, of resinous flakes. These 
are black outside, while inside they look like varnished 
splinters, and are full of a resinous, aromatic tar or 
pitch. The tree is much valued by travelers, as it will 
burn slowly all night, and thus provide them with both 
light and heat. 

" Scrub " is found in many places in Australia. It 
differs from " bush " in that it is almost impenetrable 
on account of the low bushes and shrubs which grow 
among the larger trees. The scrub on the east coast 
is especially dense and dark. It contains countless 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



47 




tf 
In these forests par- 
plants are to be 
vines hang down 
interwoven with the 
as to make entrance 



varieties of 
bushes and 
trees, many 
of which 
grow to a gigantic size, 
asitical and creeping 
found everywhere. Wild 
in festoons, so closely 
branches of the trees, 
in most places simply 



impossible without the use of a hatchet. The scrub, 
even more than the bush, abounds in vast numbers and 
kinds of snakes. They vary in length from the eight- 
een-inch deaf adder, whose bite is fatal, to a rare 
kind which attains a length of fourteen feet. Some 



48 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




COCKATOO. 



species are considered a great table luxury by the 
aborigines. 

But what is that loud, uproarious noise coming from 
the very top of that high gum. tree ? That is the pecul- 
iar cry of the "laughing 
jackass," so called from the 
resemblance of its cry to 
the braying of that animal. 
This bird belongs to the 
kingfisher family ; but, in- 
stead of preying upon fish, 
it eats beetles, reptiles, and 
small animals. 

Here may be found the 
robin, the wren, the crow, 
the plover, and the snipe, and also those harbingers of 
spring, the swallow and the cuckoo. There are plenty 
of bats, owls, and hawks. The mountain pheasant is 
rare. The eagle hawk is large and is very 
destructive to lambs. But by far the most 
common birds are the parrots. There 
are all kinds and sizes, from the macaw, ,— 
which sometimes attains a length 
of three feet, to the little love 
birds, no larger than a spar- 
row. Their voices are 
harsh, and many of them 
have the power of imi- 
tating human speech. 
They are characterized 
by a monkeylike restlessness and love of tricks, and, 




COCKATOO. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



49 



though docile and affectionate, have naturally a very 
.bad temper. The tongue is thick, fleshy, and round ; 
the hooked bill is strong, and is used to help them in 
climbing. They use their feet as hands, holding their 
food and carrying it up to the mouth. One of the most 
beautiful, a cockatoo of a rare species, is of a creamy 
white color, with orange and red crest, a delicate red 
lining to the 
wings, and bril- 
liant crimson 
among the tail 
feathers. 

There are 
emus, native 
turkeys, and 
many kinds of 
water fowls, 
such as pelicans, 
cranes, black 
swans, wild 
ducks, and 
geese. The na- 
tive has a curi- 
ous way of 
catching ducks. 
Covering his 

head with a green sod, he swims quietly out and drops 
in among a flock. Then seizing a bird by the feet 
he pulls it down under the water and kills it. Thus 
he carries on the work, until nothing remains but a lot 
of dead bodies floating on the surface of the water. 




^h 



r 'L 



AUSTRALIAN CRANE. 



50 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



There are wood ducks, which roost in the trees at 
night ; and musk ducks, which smell of musk ; also 
the widely celebrated water moles, which form the con- 
necting link between birds and beasts. 

Among animals, the kangaroo and opossum have the 
precedence, since they supply the natives with food. 
The former are found in unfrequented parts of the 
country feeding together like a herd of deer. When 
frightened, the females put their young ones into their 
pouch by means of their small front feet, or, if the 
young are large enough, allow them to jump in them- 
selves ; and then away they hasten, leaping long dis- 
tances over rocks and fallen trees. They are harmless, 
but if closely pressed, some of the males, called " old 
men," prove themselves dangerous antagonists. It is 
said that a gentleman, the owner of sixty thousand sheep, 
barely escaped being drowned by an " old man " once. 
He enjoyed calling "hilloo" to his kangaroo dogs, but 
" all the amusement ceased when an ' old man ' came 
leaping toward him, clutched him round the waist with 
his fore feet, and commenced hopping away with him 
to a large water hole to drown him, — a well-known 
and dangerous practice which the kangaroos have of 
fighting their enemies. He cried out lustily, as he 
might under the circumstances be very well excused 
for doing, and the faithful dogs came to his rescue." 

The wallaby is a smaller sort of kangaroo. It lives 
among the rocks, and is much prized as food by the 
natives. The opossum is also a marsupial much valued 
both for its flesh and its fur. " Possum shooting " is 
a favorite sport in Australia. The proper time for it 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 51 



is at night, when the moon is at the full. The clog 
will track him, and where he stands and barks one may 
be sure there is a u possum up the gum tree." 

There is a large number of creatures of which little 
is known. They are all of small size except the harm- 
less wombat, or native hare. The native cat is a beauti- 
ful speckled creature that does a great deal of mischief. 
The native dog, or dingo, is a handsome beast with a 
bushy tail. He howls, but does not bark, and is the 
sheep's worst enemy. 

Australia is full of insects, but the only one deserv- 
ing especial mention is the native bee. It has no sting, 
is slender in body, dark in color, and not much larger 
than a common house fly. The natives prize the honey, 
and have a very ingenious way of discovering the hive, 
which is always in a standing tree. They catch one 
of the bees, and then, with a piece of gum from a tree, 
fix a bit of white down on its back. Then they release 
it. Away goes the bee, and away go the natives. 
They keep their eyes fixed upon it until it alights at 
its hive. Then one native takes his tomahawk, cuts 
notches for his toes to rest in, and climbs to the place 
where the bee was seen to enter. He speedily cuts out 
the honeycomb, which he and his companions devour 
at a meal. 



52 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



CHAPTER V. 
MINING AND SHEPHERDING. 

Australia is rich in precious and useful minerals. 
Victoria lias gold ; South Australia, copper ; Queens- 
land, copper, tin, gold, iron, and coal ; Western Aus- 
tralia, lead, silver, and copper ; and New South Wales, 
gold, copper, iron, coal, silver, lead, and tin. The first 
discovery of gold was in 1851. 

When it is reported that gold has been found, there 
is always a great rush to the place, which at once 
becomes the scene of much bustle and confusion. In 
the line of the march, there are immense drays drawn 
by bullocks, whose drivers do not hesitate to attempt 
any kind of road, so long as their bullocks can stand on 
their feet. These drays are loaded with provisions, 
which are to be sold at an enormous price ; and, if 
four yokes of bullocks cannot ascend the mountain 
over which they must pass, a dozen can and must. 
There are many people who carry their own loads by 
means of horses and carts. Some travel on horseback 
with blankets strapped to their saddles ; but by far the 
largest number go on foot, and carry their loads on 
their backs. Some take shovels and picks, but others 
trust to being able to buy them after they reach the 
fields. 

Very soon long lines of white tents overtop the heaps 
of pipe clay, that grow higher from day to day. If 
the men are accompanied by their families, they gener- 
ally fence in a small inclosure, which in the spring 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



53 



is used as a garden. Many of them keep cows, and 
sell milk and butter. As timber is abundant, 
houses of every sort soon take the places of 
many of the tents. 
There are several 
processes of mining. 
In that of surfacing, 




\ / 




GOLD PROSPECTORS. 



54 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



the earth is dug two or three feet deep, thrown into 
a trough, and the water kept running continuously 
through it. Two men with shovels and forks stir the 
gravel constantly. The gold, usually in very small 
pieces, falls to the bottom of the trough, and escapes 
with the small stones through a sheet of perforated iron 
at the further extremity. 

Another process is called " shallow sinking," and 
here the pits are simply sunk deeper, the process of 
washing being the same. But the most common process 
is called " deep sinking," and the preliminary labor is 
the same as that performed in sinking a well. This dig- 
ging is continued until " bed rock " is reached, when 
the shaft is said to be bottomed. The sand and gravel 
on the bed rock are then scraped off, and the collection 
thus made is put into a bucket and drawn to the sur- 
face by means of a windlass. Sometimes large quanti- 
ties of gold have been found in one bucketful. The 
process of tunneling is carried on upon the surface of 
the bed rock underneath, equaling in extent the area 
of the claim above. 

These shafts are of various depths, some sinking six 
hundred feet. Many lives have been lost from want of 
proper attention to the use of props to prevent the fall- 
ing of the earth above, from accidents caused by blast- 
ing at great depths, and from the filling of the mine 
with water. 

When mined, the pieces of gold differ very much as 
to size and shape. The three most common forms are 
the " fine " or " gold dust," the " scaty," and the " rough." 
The first is found in places abounding in granite ; the 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



55 



second, where quartz and slate are intermixed ; the 
last, where quartz predominates. When mixed with 



^WWM3flaE!OT»8flMflNS!NN»«SS««^ 




AN AUSTRALIAN WARBLER. 



quartz, steam power has to be resorted to for crushing 
the quartz. 

The diggers all have a correct knowledge of the value 



56 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



of the precious metal, and keep scales for weighing it. 
After a digger has amassed a quantity, or a " pile," he 
does not usually keep it by him. In common with all 
others, he intrusts it, for conveyance to the capital city, 
to the Government gold escort. This is a four-wheeled 
wagon drawn by four horses and protected by armed 
policemen. The gold commissioner at the gold fields 
receives the packages, which are incased in chamois- 
skin bags, and gives the miner an acknowledgment of 
the same. These bags, duly sealed and registered, are 
then forwarded to their destination. 

The life of the digger is a very undesirable one. It 
is attended with great temptation, and a man may 
easily degenerate. It is impossible to take proper care 
of the body. The food is likely to be coarse and 
poorly prepared. The life is one of uncertainty, 
irregularity, and excitement, and utterly devoid of all 
opportunity of self -improvement. It is almost neces- 
sarily one of wandering ; and, notwithstanding the 
most solid qualities of head and heart, those who follow 
it soon become unfit for any steady occupation. 

The other great industry of Australia is stock rais- 
ing. Cattle probably impose less labor than sheep, but 
the men who own three or four thousand cattle apiece 
usually have their hands full. These men are called 
"squatters" or "graziers." Their " runs " usually 
amount to twenty thousand acres or more ; and, 
though some of them are owned, the most of them are 
leased for a number of years from the Government. 

Their houses are usually furnished comfortably, and 
if the run be near a town, even luxuriantly. They live 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 57 



well, the food on the table being abundant ; but the 
meals are monotonous. The breakfast, luncheon, and 
dinner are equally substantial, and tea is the universal 
beverage, both of masters and men. There is always 
a carriage; and as horses are cheap, they are found in 
profusion, both for riding and driving. The squatter 
is a busy man. He is often on horseback before break- 
fast, and never seems to slacken his labors till after the 
evening dews have fallen. If he keeps sheep, the 
shearing, selling, buying, breeding, and feeding, to- 
gether with the management of a large force of hired 
workmen, tax his energies to the utmost. But many 
squatters really manage their properties by deputy. 
Serviceable men nave grown up in their employment, 
and, after a while, the real work of the run falls into 
their hands, and they are called overseers. 

As to the under workers, any man who has sufficient 
eyesight to see the sheep before him, and strength 
enough to walk a few miles a day, may be a shepherd 
in Australia. Many persons who in other lands are 
totally unable to support themselves can manage to 
live here by shepherding, and even to lay up a little 
money. The business is an extremely indolent one ; 
and it is a pitiable sight to see a large strong man 
sitting on a fallen tree, and dragging himself along 
over the ground, doing the work which might easily be 
done by a boy. 

" Hut keeping " is still lazier work. The man has 
nothing to do but sit in his hut, cook his victuals, and, 
when necessary, shift the hurdles in which the sheep 
are folded. At night he reports to the overseer in 



58 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




A STOCK RIDER. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 59 



regard to missing sheep. To guard against attacks on 
his sheep, he sleeps in a covered box near them, and, if 
native dogs come around, the howling and barking of 
his own wake him. When he has a wife, she receives 
extra wages and takes care of the hut. If she is 
thrifty, the place soon loses its woe-begone look and 
assumes the appearance of a comfortable home. Cows 
are kept, a garden is made, and articles of furniture, 
before unthought of, find their way into the humble 
abode. 

The system of employing families is a great improve- 
ment upon the old one of hut keeping. If there are 
boys in the family, they tend the sheep while the father 
spends his time in cultivating a plot of ground, or in 
making shoes if he knows the trade, while, at the same 
time, he may see that the sheep are properly tended. 

In the early history of the country, convicts, exiles, 
Chinese coolies, and even savages from the Fiji 
Islands, were employed, cheap labor being what was 
wanted. But the discovery of gold brought about a 
radical change. Nearly every one rushed off to the 
mines. Wages rose at once from twelve pounds to 
forty and sixty pounds a year, besides rations ; the 
allowance for a man being ten pounds of meat, ten of 
flour, two of sugar, and one fourth pound of tea a week. 
At present the wages vary in different parts of the 
country, being governed largely by the law of demand 
and supply. 

Great interest attaches to this industry, since it has 
proved a stepping-stone to comfort and even affluence 
for a great many people. Those who take to the occu- 



60 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



pation are saved all risk of loss. They are taken from 
the ship in which they arrive, and are at once housed, 
fed, and provided for. Their work is easy to learn, 
and in a little while they acquire the manners and cus- 
toms of the country. This life is a lonesome one, how- 
ever, and it is not surprising that, when a few hundred 
pounds have been saved, the family generally seek 
some other occupation. 



CHAPTER VI. 

THE GREAT BARRIER CORAL REEF OF AUSTRALIA. 

The Great Barrier Coral Reef of Australia is one 
of the wonders of the world, and its curious structure 
and vast extent were first made known by that intrepid 
explorer, Captain Cook. Its total length is twelve 
hundred miles. Its northern origin is in Torres Strait, 
in close proximity to New Guinea, and from this point 
it extends in a southeasterly direction along the coast 
of Queensland as far as Lady Eliot Island in latitude 
24° south, almost directly opposite the mainland prom- 
ontory known as Bustard Head. 

The width of the reef or series of reefs varies in 
different districts. In some places the distance from 
the mainland to the outer edge measures two hundred 
and forty geographical miles. In other places it nar- 
rows down to thirty miles, and at one or two isolated 
points it measures but ten or twelve miles. 

The area inclosed between the mainland and the 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



61 



outer edge of the reef is about eighty thousand square 
geographical miles. This extensive surface consists 
of an archipelago of detached reefs and coral islands. 
The majority of the former are completely submerged, 



■ - - . . - 
_. . .-■■■ 




GREAT BARRIER CORAL REEF OF AUSTRALIA. 



and at low water are but partially exposed to view. 
The outer wall is generally represented as being one 
continuous reef, but it is more correct to describe it as 
a chain of detached reefs broken by many openings, 
only a few of which are navigable for large -sized ves- 
sels. The Admiralty Charts specify twenty-two such 
channels, but of these only nine are in common use. 



62 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



The reefs which form the outside barrier, together 
with the secondary reefs crowded closely to them, con- 
stitute a natural breakwater against which the ocean 
waves dash in vain. The " Inner Route " thus formed 
is consequently converted into a comparatively shallow 
and tranquil inland sea. It is, however, so thickly 
studded with shoals, reefs, and islets as to render its 
navigation extremely intricate. For vessels of heavy 
tonnage, the services of a pilot are absolutely necessary, 
and this employment is followed by a large number of 
experienced and efficient men. 

The danger is in reality reduced to a minimum by 
the very excellent system of beaconing established by 
the Queensland government, which is cited by naviga- 
tors, the world over, as among the most efficient of its 
kind. 

But, notwithstanding the utmost precautions, many 
vessels are wrecked yearly upon the coral reefs. One 
of the most noteworthy instances was the loss of the 
Quetta at the entrance of Torres Strait in February, 
1890. The Quetta was one of the finest and largest of 
the British India and Australian Steam Navigation 
Company's fleet. Her express mission was to carry the 
mails between Queensland ports and London. 

Having safely passed through the Barrier Inner 
Channel, while sailing at full speed along the charted 
course between Albany and Adolphus islands, she 
struck an unknown rock, and in three minutes had 
sunk . to the bottom of the sea in a depth of fifteen fath- 
oms of water. Of 282 people, only 162 escaped, and in 
some cases the escape seemed almost miraculous. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 63 



One young woman, sixteen years old, swam and floated 
on the surface of the water for thirty-five hours before 
being picked up by a rescue boat. In about the same 
length of time, another, swimming and drifting with 
the help of a plank, reached Adolphus Island. Of the 
cargo, only a small percentage was ever recovered. 

There is another story of shipwreck, similar to this 
one, but of much earlier date. "In this instance, all 
painful associations of loss of life are, happily, absent, 
the narrative resolving itself into an almost romantic 
record of discovered treasure-trove. The good dis- 
covery on this occasion fell to the lot of Mr. Frank 
Jar dine, the genial owner of the cattle ranch and fish- 
ing station at Somerset, in the Albany Pass, to whose 
ready and unlimited hospitality, extended to them in 
the day of their sore distress, the survivors from the 
Quetta accident owe their lifelong gratitude. In the 
minds of many, doubtless, there will seem to be an 
almost providentially directed connection betwixt these 
good deeds and this fortunate episode. 

" It so happened that one of Mr. Jardine's boats, 
prospecting in pastures new for a remunerative fishing 
ground, was driven, through stress of weather, to take 
shelter in one of those naturally protected coves that 
abound among the Barrier Reefs. Lying to in the 
secluded haven, the flukes of a time-worn anchor were 
discerned at a short distance from the boat at low ebb- 
tide. Acting on the idea that the instrument might 
in some way prove useful, steps were taken to remove 
it. The surprise and gratification experienced on a 
mass of coin being laid bare on the immediate resting 



64 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



ground of the eroded anchor, can well be imagined. 
Further investigation led to the discovery of a larger 
mass of coin than could be transported by the fishing 
lugger in a single voyage, several trips from Somerset 
being eventually undertaken before the little mine was 
exhausted." 

The specie exhumed consisted of Spanish silver dol- 
lars, with a fair sprinkling of gold coins. The money 
was in a remarkable state of preservation, and the aggre- 
gate value of the treasure amounted to several thou- 
sand pounds. 

The Great Barrier Reef doubtless has many secrets, 
and hides within its coral caves many treasures which 
will never come to light. Among these are Captain 
Cook's six guns, thrown overboard from the Endeavor 
when she was temporarily aground on a reef. These 
are of classic interest to all Australians, and the sup- 
posed vicinity of the disaster has been searched with 
the aid of divers many times without success. In all 
probability the guns have long since been buried be- 
neath a mass of growing coral. 

Before we go farther, it may be well to inquire what 
formed this great coral reef. The coral insect ? Not 
so. There is no such thing as a coral insect. A great 
many people labor under the delusion that held Punch's 
railway porter, who, puzzled as to the classification of 
the old lady's tortoise, affirmed that being "neither a 
dawg nor a bird, it must needs be a hinsec." 

An insect in the normal adult condition has several 
legs, associated with a distinctly articulated body and 
a complex nervous and circulatory system. The coral 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 65 



animal has none of these. " It is individually a single 
polyp, comparable in every essential detail with the 
ordinary simply organized sea anemone, with the ex- 
ception that it possesses the property of secreting a 
dense, calcareous skeleton out of the lime held abun- 
dantly in suspension in probably every sea." 

The coral reef-building polyps are found only in 
water whose temperature never falls below 68° F. 
Therefore, as a rule, they live only in tropical seas, be- 




ATOLL, OR RING ISLAND. 

tween the parallels of latitude 23J° north and south of 
the equator. 

In the Barrier district, the highest elevation at which 
growing corals are found is low-water mark, and the 
lowest is thirty fathoms deep. Their most luxuriant 
development is limited by a depth of fifteen fathoms. 

As originally classified by Mr. Darwin, there are 
three distinct varieties of coral reefs : Lagoon Islands, 
or Atolls ; Barrier, or Encircling, Reefs ; and Fringing, 
or Shore, Reefs. 

The atolls are singular rings of coral land which 
rise abruptly out of the unfathomable sea. 



66 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



Between the atoll and barrier reef there is no essen- 
tial point of difference. The former incloses a simple 
sheet of water ; the latter encircles an expanse with 
one or more islands rising from it. 

" With respect to fringing, or shore, reefs, there is 
little in their structure that needs explanation ; and their 
name expresses their comparatively small extension. 
They differ from barrier reefs in not lying far from the 
shore and in not having within them a broad channel of 
deep water." 

The Capricorn group forms the southern extremity 
of the Great Barrier Reef, and of this group Lady Eliot 
Island lies farthest south. This island was visited by 
Professor Jukes in 1843. Then many sea birds inhab- 
ited it. Now it is the site of a first-class lighthouse, 
which, with another on Sandy Cape, illumes the entrance 
to the Inner Route along the coast of Queensland to 
Torres Strait. 

Coarse fragments of bleached coral and broken shells 
form the beach of Lady Eliot. Back of this is a ridge 
of the same material, four or five feet in height and 
measuring several yards across. This ridge, which is 
occupied by a growth of small trees, encircles the island, 
which is about a quarter of a mile in diameter. In the 
center is a sandy plain covered with scrubby vegetation 
a foot or two high. On the northwest side of the island, 
is a sloping bank of coral, which, at the distance of a 
fourth of a mile, is about two fathoms under water. 
Here it ends suddenly, and the water measures fifteen 
fathoms deep. 

In Moreton Bay, opposite Brisbane, are found at the 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 67 

present day masses of dead coral of two species. Be- 
side these are found several species of living corals, 
one of which resembles the Red Sea variety. 

Proceeding north from Lady Eliot Island, we fall in 
with a chain of islands about fifty-five miles long, be- 
longing to the Bunker and Capricorn groups. They 
all lie within thirty or forty miles of the mainland. 
None of these islands are more than a mile in length, 
and all closely resemble the Lady Eliot. 

The Torres Strait group practically forms the west- 
ern boundary of the Great Barrier area. It comprises 
twelve islands, and, with the surrounding reefs and 
shoals, they stretch northward to the center of the 
strait. The largest, Prince of Wales Island, is irregu- 
larly circular, and has a diameter of nearly twelve miles. 
It reaches its greatest height in a hill which rises 761 
feet above the level of the sea. 

Banks Island lies twenty miles north of this and has 
about the same area. All the rest are much smaller. 
Thursday Island, although one of the smallest, takes 
the precedence commercially. It is the headquarters 
of the Torres Strait pearl shell fisheries, and it is also 
the port of call and coasting station for ocean steamers 
passing to and from the ports of India and China. 
The population of the island is small, being less than 
three thousand. But the number of nationalities repre- 
sented, twenty-four, is in excess, comparatively, of what 
is to be found in any other quarter of the globe. 

Some idea of the monetary importance to Queensland 
of the Great Barrier Coral Reef may be gained from 
the fact that raw material to the value of over £100,000 



68 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




CORAL FORMATIONS. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 69 



is obtained annually from the reefs and the intervening 
waters, and exported from the colony. 

When the prolific resources of the region have been 
fully developed, this sum will be considerably increased. 
The pearl, pearl shell, and trepang fisheries have con- 
tributed most largely to bring about this result. These 
industries are capable of almost unlimited develop- 
ment, and in addition to them are other allied indus- 
tries, which will in time yield a rich increase to the 
colony's wealth. 

In former years mother-of-pearl was obtained in large 
quantities at little expense, and even now it is found in 
some places in shallow water, where, at low spring tide, 
it may be gathered with the hand. But the average 
depth of water from which it is now collected is seven 
fathoms. The greatest depth at which it may be gath- 
ered with profit is twenty fathoms. Even at this depth 
there are few divers who can work very long at a time, 
on account of the great pressure of the water. 

The vessels employed in this industry are chiefly 
strong lugger-rigged crafts, which average ten tons' 
burden. The crew of the lugger is made up of a diver, 
who acts as sailing master and takes command, a tender, 
who holds the life lines and attends to the signals given 
by the diver when at work, and four other men, who, 
in pairs, alternately attend to the pumping apparatus 
which supplies air to the diver. 

As a rule, the entire crew is composed of colored 
men of various nationalities, — aborigines from the 
mainland, south sea islanders, and natives from islands 
in Torres Strait. Some of the best divers, however, are 



70 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



Chinese, Japanese, Manila men, and Malays. There 
are bnt few European clivers, and these are generally 
the owners of their own vessels. 

Of the typical mother-of-pearl taken from Queens- 
land waters there are two varieties. One has a golden 
edge, and the other is of a uniform silvery appearance 
throughout. The latter is of the greater value, since 
it cuts up to better advantage. As may be seen in a 
recent report of one of the principal mother-of-pearl 
mercantile houses of London, the Queensland shell 
occupies a leading position in the market. The "fine 
white, selected bold" brings no less than 11125 per 
ton, which is seventy-five dollars in advance of the best 
shell procured from any other waters. 

In this connection, an interesting study might also 
be made of the pearls obtained from these shells. It is 
only one shell out of many thousands which produces 
a pearl weighing as much as thirty or forty grains. 
Such a pearl, if perfect, sells for about twelve hundred 
dollars. Occasionally larger ones are found, which, if 
they are unblemished, bring a correspondingly higher 
price. Thus a perfectly spherical one weighing eighty- 
eight grains was sold by the owner for two thousand 
dollars. Pearls vary much in shape. A pear-shaped 
one, weighing twenty-eight grains, is valued at about 
five hundred dollars. 

Next to the pearl and pearl shell fisheries, those of 
the trepang, or beche-de-mer, are of most importance. 
The term " beche-de-mer " is a French word signifying 
a sea slug or sea worm. The term was applied by the 
older Portuguese navigators to that product of the sea, 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 
— i ■ i 



71 




72 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



which, from remote times, has constituted such an im- 
portant article of commerce with China. The terms 
" sea slug " and " sea worm " have reference to the gen- 
eral shape of the animals. They are distinguished from 
their allies, the starfishes and sea urchins, by their 
elongate, somewhat cucumber-shaped bodies, which are 
capable of great contraction or expansion. The mouth, 
which is situated at one end of the body, is surrounded 
by a series of tufted tentacles. 

The beche-de-mer fisheries are carried on by luggers 
of five or six tons' burden. Still larger schooners 
are fitted up with all the appliances necessary for 
curing the fish, and these simply change their anchor- 
age from time to time, sending out their boats in every 
direction to collect the fish. 

The fish are taken during the low tides in the new 
and full phases of the moon, and eight or ten days in 
each lunar month are thus utilized. The greater part 
of the fish are simply picked off the reefs and thrown 
into sacks. But the finest red and black fish, and the 
prickly fish, are obtained at the depth of two or three 
fathoms by diving. 

Arrived at the curing station, the fish are thrown 
into boiling water and boiled for twenty minutes. 
They are then split lengthwise with a sharp knife, and 
cleaned. Then they are laid on the ground to dry, 
and after this they are smoked for twenty-four hours, 
the favorite wood in use being the red mangrove. 

By this time they are so shrunken as to measure only 
about six inches. They are then ready for bagging 
and shipping to market. The greatest care now is to 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 73 




CAPE PILLAR, TASMANIA. 



74 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE 



keep them dry, and this is a difficult matter, since they 
absorb moisture readily. " Properly cured and main- 
tained in first-class condition, the dried animals should 
rattle like walnuts in their bags." In transporting 
them to Hong Kong, they are sometimes placed in 
cases lined with tin. 

Third upon the list of Queensland fisheries stands that 
of the oyster. The annual export value is much lower 
than that of pearl shell or beche-de-mer, but the rev- 
enue accruing to the government is far in excess of 
that derived from either of these industries. Beside 
this, about half as many as are exported are kept for 
home uses. 

The rock oyster is the only variety as yet to receive 
serious consideration from a purely commercial stand- 
point. The coxcomb oyster is the largest edible oyster 
found in Queensland waters. It received its name on 
account of the regular zigzag undulations of the outer 
edges of the valves. A pair of shells of this oyster 
often weigh as much as five or seven pounds. 



CHAPTER VII. 

TASMANIA. 



Tasmania lies a hundred and thirty miles south of 
Australia, from which it is separated by Bass Strait. 
It was known formerly as Yan Diemen's Land, and con- 
tains an area of more than twenty-six thousand square 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



75 



miles. The coast line is considerably broken, especially 
on the south. The surface of the country is mountain- 
ous, varied by deep, narrow valleys, extensive undula- 
ting tracts of country, and open plains of limited extent. 
Ben Lomond and Cradle Mount are each more than five 
thousand feet high, and there are several other peaks 
exceeding four thousand feet. Nestled among the cen- 
tral mountains, at an average height of three thousand 




GOVERNMENT HOUSE, HOBART. 

feet, are numerous small lakes ; these feed the greater 
part of the rivers draining the southeast slope. 

On approaching the island from the north, the first 
object that attracts the attention is a lighthouse one 
hundred and forty feet high. It marks the mouth of 
the Tamar River. The tide in this river is character- 
ized by a remarkable rise and fall, the difference between 
high and low tide being fourteen feet. Here and there 



76 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



along its shores isolated houses clot the country. These 
are not cabins, but neat, permanent structures, near 
which are large barns and other appropriate buildings. 
These barns signify that the domestic animals have 
need of protection during the winter, which is not the 
case in Australia. 

Forty miles from the mouth of the river is Launces- 
ton. Its tall smoking chimneys proclaim the, fact that 
the people are busy smelting ores dug from the neigh- 
boring hills and valleys. This town is at the head of 
navigation on the Tamar River, in a beautiful valley 
surrounded by hills. It has a population of seventeen 
thousand. Like Melbourne, its streets are broad and 
regularly laid out. A good supply of water is brought 
from St. Patrick's River, fifteen miles away. Its many 
substantial buildings of brick and stone impart an air 
of unusual prosperity to the place. 

A mountain range, from two to five thousand feet in 
height, cccupies the central part of the island, while its 
plains and valleys give pasturage to nearly two million 
sheep, besides large numbers of cattle. The wool pro- 
duced is of an excellent quality, and always commands 
the best price. In the mountain ranges and near them, 
gold, silver, tin, copper, and coal abound; so that the 
land teems with mineral wealth, as yet undeveloped. 

One hundred and fifty miles from Launceston is the 
famous Mount Bischoff* tin mine. It may be reached 
from the city either by land or water. The quartz, or 
tin-bearing rock, may be said to form the entire hill to 
the height of three hundred feet. Several shafts have 
been sunk to the depth of a hundred feet, showing that 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



77 



the metallic deposit reaches that depth, and is practically 
inexhaustible. The tin is shipped direct to England 
in the form of "pigs," the demand from that country 
absorbing the entire product of the mine. 

One hundred and fifty miles south of Launceston 
is Hobart, the capital of Tasmania. The two places 




ABORIGINES OF TASMANIA. 



are connected by a narrow gauge railroad owned and 
operated . by a private company. The city occupies 
a fine position, twenty miles from the sea, at the head 
of a sheltered estuary called Sullivan's Cove. On the 
other three sides it is surrounded by hills and moun- 
tains, the loftiest being Mount Wellington. The city 
is square, and is built upon a succession of low hills. 



78 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



Its broad streets intersect one another at right angles. 
They are lined with well-stocked stores, and among 
them are several elegant bookstores which would do 
credit to any American or European city, their shelves 
containing a full assortment of both modern and classi- 
cal literature. 

Its public buildings and many of its private residences 
are constructed of light freestone, which not only gives 
an imposing aspect to its thoroughfares, but produces 
a pleasing effect whether seen in sunshine or shadow. 
The population numbers thirty thousand. Though the 
prospect is so pleasing, Hobart has not yet outlived 
the curse of the penal institutions which character- 
ized its early history. Fifty years ago the British 
government was spending five thousand dollars a day 
in support of jails and military barracks. The last 
convict ship from England discharged her cargo in 1851. 
Since then the system, with all its incidental barbarities, 
has gradually disappeared. 

The Botanical Garden covers an area of over twenty 
acres. It is filled with ornamental trees, flowers, and 
fruit trees, from every part of the world. Even in the 
winter, which, for the climate, is mild and wonderfully 
equable, sweet-scented shrubs and flowers render the 
dewy morning air delightfully fragrant. 

In some respects the street scenes are novel. The 
typical miner, with his canvas bag, his pick, and shovel 
on his shoulder, seems omnipresent. The chimney 
sweep, whom we know only as belonging to olden 
times, is seen here, with blackened face and soiled 
hands, pursuing his vocation. Market men, galloping 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



79 




TASMAN'S ARCH. 



on wiry little horses, deliver their goods to customers, 
in baskets which they bear on their arms. Women, with 
scores of slaughtered rabbits, cry them for sale at six- 



80 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



pence for two, and realize a bounty, besides, for killing 
them, as they are counted as pests. 

The fish market is also an interesting place. The 
inhabitants of the sea differ very much from those with 
which we are most familiar. The lobsters have a corru- 
gated shell exceedingly hard, and lack the claws which 
are so conspicuous a part of ours. The best of their 
oysters are of a very inferior grade. 

There are about thirty species of mammals in Tas- 
mania, of which one half are marsupials. Among the 
latter are the kangaroo, wallaby, opossum, and wombat. 
The Tasmanian devil is also a marsupial, and is peculiar 
to Tasmania. It is sometimes very destructive to sheep. 
The skin of the kangaroo is much prized for leather, 
and opossum fur sells well. The majority of the birds 
of the island are identical with those of Australia. 
The black swan is now seldom seen in the settled 
districts. There are thirteen species of snakes, most 
of which are venomous, but accidents from their bite 
seldom occur. 

About twenty miles from Hobart is a fine forest 
of gum trees similar to those abounding in Australia. 
The people say that they can show trees larger than 
any in Victoria. One which had fallen was of extraor- 
dinary size, being three hundred and thirty feet in 
length, and its trunk having a circumference of seventy- 
one feet. In these forests, local steam sawmills are 
constantly at work preparing lumber of various dimen- 
sions for market. 

The aborigines of Tasmania resembled those of Aus- 
tralia only in color. They were well formed and 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



81 







82 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



athletic and had flat noses, curly hair, bright eyes, and 
elaborately tattooed bodies. They were low in the 
scale of barbarism and were addicted to cannibalism. 
They are now utterly extinct. 




MAORI WARCLUB. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

NEW ZEALAND. 

New Zealand is a British colony in the South 
Pacific Ocean, about twelve hundred miles southeast 
of Australia. It consists of North Island, South Island, 
and Stewart Island, the last being much smaller than 
the other two. There are also numerous islets. The 
group is irregular in form, and, like Italy, resembles a 
boot in shape. North Island and South Island are 
each about five hundred miles long from north to south, 
and have an average breadth of one hundred and forty 
miles. The combined area of the three is one hundred 
and five thousand square miles. North Island is sepa- 
rated from South Island by Cook Strait, which is 
eighteen miles wide at the eastern point, and ninety 
at the western. The coast line measures nearly four 
thousand miles, and North Island has many excellent 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



83 




84 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



harbors. New Zealand is a little larger than Colorado, 
and a little smaller than Italy including Sicily and 
Sardinia. 

Wellington, at the southern extremity of North 
Island, is the capital ; but, aside from this fact, little 
of importance attaches to the place. It has its asylums, 
a hospital, a college, botanical gardens, a Roman Catho- 
lic cathedral, and a museum. Here is also a Maori 
house, built by the natives, and filled with carvings, 
weapons, and domestic utensils used by the aborigines. 

In this city may be seen a number of natives, who 
are called Maoris, dressed as a rule in European cos- 
tume. The women have great masses of hair falling 
over their foreheads and shading their great, black 
eyes. Their cheek bones are high, and their chins are 
tattooed with a sort of blue dye. The men tattoo the 
whole face. They greet each other by rubbing noses 
when they meet on the street. As is the rule among 
savages, the women do all the work, and the men play 
the part of idlers. The aborigines were cannibals. 
Captain Cook, in order to discourage the inhuman 
practice of eating human flesh, introduced swine and 
other domestic animals into the country. But although 
the natives hunted the animals, which were allowed to 
run wild, and which increased in numbers, cannibalism 
received no appreciable check. While the Maoris were 
utter barbarians, they seemed to thrive ; but now that 
they are semi-civilized, they yearly decrease in num- 
bers, and, like the aborigines of Tasmania, they will 
probably become extinct. 

The islands forming New Zealand are of volcanic 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



85 




MAORI WOMAN AND CHILD. 



86 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



origin. The surface is very mountainous. There are 
a few active volcanoes, and many more inactive ones. 
The loftiest mountain in North Island is over nine 
thousand feet in height. Mount Cook in South Island 
is about thirteen thousand feet high. The greatest ele- 
vation in Stewart Island is not over three thousand feet 
above the sea level. 

There are countless running streams of the purest 
water, but the rivers are short and not navigable for 
more than fifty miles, as a rule. The principal one is 
Waikato River in North Island. It rises in the center 
of the country, and, after flowing north for a distance of 
two hundred miles, reaches the sea on the west coast. 

The climate of New Zealand is one of the finest in 
the world. There are but few physical sources of 
disease. The average temperature is remarkably even 
at all seasons of the year, and the atmosphere is con- 
tinually freshened by winds which blow over a great 
expanse of ocean. In North Island the mean annual 
temperature is fifty-eight degrees ; in South Island, 
fifty- two. All the native trees and plants are ever- 
green. There are over a thousand species of flowering 
plants. Cattle as a rule feed on grass and shrubs all 
the year round, and the cultivation of the land may be 
carried on at all seasons. Of the crops, the principal 
ones are wheat, oats, barley, potatoes, and sown grass. 

A few species of lizards and a small rat are the only 
native four-footed animals. Hawks are numerous. 
There are no snakes, and but few insects. The domes- 
tic animals introduced by colonists thrive well, and at 
present there are thousands of horses, cattle, and pigs, 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



8T 




88 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



and millions of sheep and poultry in the country. 
Coal, iron, gold, silver, copper, and tin are found in 
various places, and there is a great abundance of valu- 
able timber. 

Auckland, the Naples of New Zealand, is its northern 
metropolis and a typical city. It is built upon an isth- 
mus in one of the most remarkable volcanic districts 
in the world. One mountain six thousand feet high is, 
even now, in constant activity. The severest earthquake 
occurred in 1851, raising the coast line four feet higher 
for many miles. It is said that within a radius of ten 
miles from the center of the city there are sixty-three 
volcanic cones where eruptions have taken place. The 
height of these hills varies from two hundred to seven 
hundred feet. A century ago, each of them was held by 
a native tribe who fortified its summit. The highest 
hill is Mount Eden, close to Auckland. 

The harbor is unusually fine. It has two dry docks, 
one of which, five hundred feet long by eighty wide, is 
the largest in the South Pacific. Vessels of any size 
may anchor in this harbor. 

The city is spread out over a large area, extending 
from the foot of Mount Eden to the bay, and each of 
the dwelling houses has a beautiful garden attached. 
Queen Street, reaching from the wharves to the suburbs, 
is the main thoroughfare. Some of the buildings with 
which it is lined are handsome structures. They are 
built of freestone, and are occupied as banks, olfices, 
and stores. There are some very imposing brick struc- 
tures, four stories in height, with handsome facades. 
Churches are to be seen in all parts of the city. There 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



89 




90 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



are also a university for boys and a high school for 
girls, besides primary schools. The post office, supreme 
court house, government house, public library, and 
hospital are the chief public buildings. 

Near the center of the city is a popular resort called 
Albert Park. It is really a small mountain, with wind- 
ing paths leading to the summit, on which are a flagstaff 
and several cannon. This park commands a fine view 
of the city, the harbor, and the surrounding country. 

The commercial prosperity of Auckland and the ad- 
jacent territory is due to the large forests. The pine 
of this country, called the kauri tree, is very different 
from our pines. It has leaves of a somber green in 
place of needles. This tree makes an excellent timber, 
fine-grained and easily worked. It grows to an average 
height of one hundred feet, and its diameter is fifteen 
feet or more. It does not seem to relish the proximity 
of other varieties of trees, and sometimes occupies 
whole forests unmixed with any other kind. There is 
no undergrowth except tree ferns. 

Kauri gum, which resembles amber, exudes from the 
bark of the kauri pine, and is gathered and exported in 
large quantities from Auckland. It is also found in 
large masses at the depth of five or six feet in the 
ground, and is supposed to be the product of ancient 
kauri forests, which, centuries ago, were destroyed by 
fire or decay. The deposit seems to be inexhaustible. 
This gum is used as a base, instead of gum mastic, 
in the manufacture of fine varnishes, and for other pur- 
poses. 

The lakes of New Zealand are a prominent feature. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



91 




92 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE, 



Iii South Island are two, covering areas of one hundred 
and thirty-two and one hundred and twelve square 
miles, respectively. These, and many others among 
the Southern Alps, are possessed of great beauty, and 
are objects of interest to tourists and explorers. Near 
the center of North Island is one covering an area of 
two hundred and fifty square miles. Lying between it 
and the White Island, in the Bay of Plenty, is the famous 
Hot Lake District of New Zealand. It is in the center 
of territory reserved for some of the Maori tribes. 
Geysers, boiling springs, and palatial terraces abound 
everywhere. Many of the geysers and springs are so 
hot as to blister the flesh immediately on its coming in 
contact with their waters. Others are of a temperature 
suitable for boiling vegetables, while others still are 
lovely natural baths, formed, as it were, of tinted mar- 
ble and full of warm transparent water of a bluish color. 
The Maori people of both sexes spend much of their 
time in these pools. Their covering, as a rule, is 
nothing but a blanket ; and if they feel cold, day or 
night, they resort at once to the water. They seem to 
do little else than bathe and smoke, and in the use of 
tobacco the women indulge even more freely than the 
men. They live almost wholly upon pork and potatoes, 
the latter growing without cultivation. They boil their 
potatoes by suspending them in a wire net in a hot 
spring, or bake them by placing them upon the hot 
rocks that are found everywhere. They have no way 
of building a fire in their cabins, which consist of but 
one room. Their beds are composed of dried fern 
leaves. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



93 






94 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




MAORI IDOLS, NEW ZEALAND. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



95 



The Maoris differ in many respects from other sav- 
age tribes. They are not revengeful like the Ameri- 
can Indians, neither are they treacherous or deceitful. 
Before going to war they always give their enemy due 
warning. Originally their greatest ambition was to 
make prisoners, " and when made, to cook and eat 
them." At the present time they have settled down to 
a life of quiet and peace, and are as lazy and listless as 
it is possible for humanity to be. 



CHAPTER IX. 



A PEN PICTURE OF GREENLAND. 

" For if the land have a good name, it will cause 
many to come hither." So 
said Eric the Red, a thou- -^% a 

sand years ago, when he 
gave the name Greenland to 
this desolate island. And 
he was right. Emi- 
grants poured 
in. New towns 
were built, 
new farms 
were cleared, 
and Greenland 
became a land of 
the Northmen. 

At what time this race became extinct, we do not 




A GREENLAND GUIDE. 



96 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



know. But the Esquimaux, a heathen people, who laid 
waste their homes and sanctuaries, now occupy the 
country. 

A large part of Greenland lies within the Arctic Cir- 
cle, and all of it is arctic in its character. It is sepa- 
rated from Europe by the Atlantic Ocean, from Iceland 
by Denmark Strait, and from North America by Davis 
Strait and Baffin Bay. According to a map made by 
Lieutenant Peary, its northern shore is bounded by 
Kane Basin, Kennedy Channel, Robeson Channel, Lin- 
coln Sea, and Independence Bay. 

The length of Greenland from north to south is thir- 
teen hundred and eighty miles. Its greatest width 
from east to west is six hundred and ninety miles. Its 
area is estimated at five hundred and twelve thousand 
square miles ; this allows one hundred and ninety- 
two thousand for the " outskirts '" with their fiords, 
and three hundred and twenty thousand for the " in- 
land ice." By the first term is meant the land lying 
on the coast ; by the latter, the interior. 

The country cannot be called mountainous, though 
heights of from three to four thousand feet are common. 
There are a few points, still more elevated, such as 
Petermann's Peak on the east coast, eleven thousand 
feet high, Payer's Peak, Sukkertoppen, and Saunder- 
son's Hope. 

Very little is known of the eastern coast, on account 
of the Spitzbergen ice stream continually pouring down 
that shore. Its general features are high cliffs, great 
glaciers, and deep inlets. The western coast is more 
accessible. The coast line is indented by numerous 




JSORTH CIRC 

Including Greenland, Iceland, Spitzbergen, Nova Zembla, Kuril* u 




BIPOLAR MAP 

nd Aleutian Islands, Arctic Archipelago, Hebrides, Newfoundland. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA, 



97 





■h 




98 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



fiords, most of which have been followed to their 
heads. Many of them stretch several miles into 
the interior, and are ended by glacier prolongations 
of the "inland ice." These are known as "ice 
fiords." 

For the purpose of ascertaining the character of the 
northern shore, Lieutenant R. E. Peary with one at- 
tendant, in the summer of 1892, undertook " The Great 
White Journey "over the "inland ice." He started 
from Redcliffe on the western coast, in latitude seventy- 
seven and a half, and traveled along the " inland ice " 
toward the northeast. 

The journey was begun on the first day of May, and, 
after traveling for fifty-seven days over a barren waste 
of ice and snow, he reached " a strange new land lying 
red-brown in the sunlight, and dotted with snowdrifts 
here and there." A journey of four more days brought 
him to a cliff three thousand five hundred feet high, 
now known as Navy Cliff. It stands in latitude eighty- 
one and a half, and longitude thirty-five, and marks 
the northeastern extremity of Greenland. At its foot 
lies Independence Bay, so named by Lieutenant Peary 
because discovered on the fourth of July. This bay 
opens into the Arctic Ocean. 

" It was almost impossible," he says, " for us to believe 
that we were standing upon the northern shore of Green- 
land, as we gazed from the summit of this bronze cliff, 
with the most brilliant sunshine all about us, with 
yellow poppies growing at our feet, and a herd of 
musk oxen in the valley behind us. Down in that 
same valley, I had found an old friend, a dandelion in 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 99 



bloom, and had seen the bullet-like flight, and heard 
the energetic buzz, of the bumble bee." 

The summer season in Greenland is very short, not 
exceeding four months, during two of which the sun is 
always above the horizon. It is characterized by a 
rapid growth of vegetation. In the north and north- 
west, grass and soft moss, studded with thousands of 
flowers, quickly cover the ground. Farther to the south 
there are tangled growths of junipers, whortleberry, 
crakeberry, and willows, while the grassy sod is deco- 
rated with plants in bloom, among which are the dan- 
delion, bluebell, crowfoot, and cochleria. The angelica 
grows beside the streams, to the height of three feet. 
The stem of this plant is used by the natives as food, 
as is also a kind of cress called scurvy grass. 

No attempt is made in any part of Greenland to raise 
anything more than the ordinary garden vegetables, 
such as lettuce, radishes, and cabbage. 

The civil organization of Greenland is very simple. 
The northern and northeastern parts are given up to 
England, America, and Germany, by right of discovery. 
The western coast is claimed by Denmark. For pur- 
poses of government and trade, the latter is divided 
into two political divisions called inspectorates. The 
southern inspectorate extends nearly to the sixty- 
seventh degree of latitude, and the northern comprises 
the rest of the Danish territory. 

Each inspectorate is governed by an inspector, whose 
authority is absolute throughout his jurisdiction. There 
is no appeal from his decision, except to the Government 
Board at Copenhagen. The residence of the southern 



100 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



inspector is at the capital city, Godthaab. The capital 
of the northern inspectorate is Godhavn, on Disco 
Island. 

Each inspectorate is divided into districts. The 
southern contains seven. The northern has five, of 
which Upernavik, at the very verge of human exist- 





THE GOVERNOR'S HOME, GREENLAND. 



ence, is the farthest north, and, strangely enough, bears 
a name which signifies "the summer place." Each 
district is presided over by a governor. 

The districts are divided into outposts, each one of 
which is ruled by a Dane or a half-breed. His prin- 
cipal business is to keep the Government accounts, 
dispose of its stores, and gather products for its profit. 
These stores, consisting of wheat, coffee, sugar, tobacco, 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 101 



and firewood, are distributed among the outposts. In 
a similar manner the native products, consisting 
of stock fish (the cod, dried without salt), eider 
down, furs, seal skin, and blubber, are collected ready 
for shipment to Denmark. Cryolite, found in quantity 
in Greenland only, is at present the only mineral ex- 
ported. It has been discovered only in one spot, 
Ivigtut, on the shore of Arsut Fiord. 

The river system of Greenland is unlike that of 
countries with which we are familiar, and we must give 
it special attention. 

Can you imagine a country the center of which is one 
vast unbroken sheet of water ? Can you see rivers 
flowing from this lake in every direction to the sea ? 
Greenland is like that, only the lake is a frozen one, 
and the rivers are frozen streams. 

The interior of Greenland is not habitable, for it is 
covered by a great mass of ice. This is called the "in- 
land ice," and it is estimated that its average thickness 
is at least five hundred feet. 

What becomes of this great quantity of ice ? It 
flows to the sea, and we call the name of these frozen 
rivers glaciers. The rate of flow depends upon the 
steepness of descent. It has been calculated that the 
average movement is from five to eight inches daily. 

In the Alps the glacier never reaches the foot of the 
mountain. Long before that, it has changed into a 
river of water. But in Greenland the glacier never 
melts. It reaches the ocean in all the glory of its cold 
and crystal hardness. In its progress down the valley 
into the fiord, it must necessarily adapt itself to every 



102 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



inequality of the bank. This is not done without seri- 
ous resistance. Tons of earth, sand, and rocks are torn 
up and pushed aside when the glacier spreads itself 
into the side valleys. This resistance accounts for 
the fact that a glacier, like a river, flows swifter in 
the center than at the sides. 

Many of the Greenland glaciers are of wonderful 




A GREENLAND GLACIER. 



extent. The Great Humboldt Glacier, lying at the 
head of Smith Sound, and discovered by Dr. Kane, is 
sixty miles wide. Its front is in the water and it is 
washed by the waves like any other coast line. Below 
the surface of the water, this wall of ice extends down- 
ward to the bottom, and in places the depth is over two 
thousand feet. Another glacier, twenty miles wide, is 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 103 



to be seen in the fiord of Aukpadlartok, near which 
Upernavik is situated. 

An iceberg is a detached portion of a glacier. When 
it is about to break loose, a loud report is heard, 
quickly followed by another louder than the first. 
The detached mass now plunges forward. The front 
sinks while the inner side rises, and volumes of water, 
lifted with the sudden motion, pour from its sides into 
the agitated sea. 

Imagine a piece of ice, a third of a mile deep, a 
mile long, and half a mile wide, hurled away into the 
water and set in motion by the impetus of the act. 
One side dips down almost out of sight, the other 
rises and then falls again with irresistible force ; and 
this process goes on for hours, until the great mass 
finally comes to rest. Such an exhibition of power is 
nowhere else to be witnessed on the face of the earth. 

Not all of the icebergs are separated from glaciers in 
this manner. Instead of falling into the sea, the enor- 
mous masses of ice are propelled inch by inch, and year 
by year, until, reaching water which can sustain their 
weight, they are quietly floated away. 



CHAPTER X. 
LIFE IN AN IGLOO. 



The hut of the Esquimaux is called an " igloo." It is 
built of stones and turf. In order to effect an entrance, 
one must go down on his hands and knees and creep 
through a sort of tunnel from six to twenty feet long. 



104 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



This tunnel is very low, straight, and level until it 
reaches the inner part of the chamber, when it rises 
abruptly by a small hole, through which, with some 
squeezing, you enter the true apartment. Over this 
entrance is a rude window, covered with scraped seal 
intestine. A smoke hole opens through the roof. 




AN OLD GREENLAND RUIN. 



A platform, one and a half feet from the floor, about 
four feet wide in the middle and two and a half at the 
sides, runs all around the walls of the igloo, except that 
part of the floor in which is the aperture for entrance. 
The middle of this platform, for about five feet, is the 
bed. The ends of it, on either side of the doorway, are 
devoted to the stoves, in which chunks of blubber are 
burned. 

Above each stove hangs a soapstone pan containing 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



105 




snow, to be melted into water for drinking purposes. 
Above these pans are racks on which the inmates hang 
their wet mittens, stockings, and bird-skin shirts. It not 
unf requently happens 
that insects fall from 
these into the drinking 
water. But no notice is 
taken of this, for the 
igloos are exceedingly 
filthy and alive with ver- 
min. 

The men and women 
dress very much alike. 
The body is covered with 
two garments. One is 
made of bird skin, and 
worn with the feathers 
next to the body. The 
other is made of seal 
skin, and is worn with 
the fur on the outside. 
These garments, fash- 
ioned just alike, are made 
to fit the figure. They 
are cut short at the hips, 
and are pointed at the 

back and front. A close-fitting hood is sewed to the 
neck of each garment for outdoor use. An extra 
breadth is sewed into the back of the woman's outer 
garment, so as to form a sort of pouch. In this she 
carries her baby until it is large enough to walk. 




A NATIVE GREENLANDER. 



106 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



The men wear seal-skin, dog-skin, or bear-skin 
trowsers, reaching below the knee. Their stockings 
are made of the fur of the Arctic hare. The trowsers 
of the women are made of fox skin or seal skin and are 
little more than trunks. Their stockings are long, 
and are made of reindeer fur. Their boots are equally 
long, and are made of tanned seal skin. 

The only arms the men carry are knives, which they 
conceal in their boots. Their lances, which are formida- 
ble weapons, are lashed to their sledges. 

These sledges, or sleds, are made up of small frag- 
ments of porous bone, strongly knit together by thongs 
of hide. The runners are made of highly polished 
ivory obtained from the tusks of the walrus. The 
sledge is drawn by two or more dogs. Each dog is 
fastened to it by a single line, and all are guided and 
controlled by the voice of the master or by his whip. 

The Esquimaux visit one another in the winter time, 
as this is the best season for traveling. At such times, 
the igloos are crowded to the utmost, as many as fifteen 
persons being stowed away in one six feet wide and 
fifteen feet long. With no ventilation to speak of, 
with the blubber burning in the stoves, and with the 
natural heat thrown off by the bodies, the temperature 
often rises to ninety degrees, while on the outside it is 
thirty or forty below zero. 

The walrus is the staple food of the Esquimaux 
throughout the year. In the winter time, a chunk of 
raw meat, frozen solid, is brought into the igloo and 
thrown upon the floor in a convenient corner. From 
this the hungry ones help themselves. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



107 



The season for hunting the walrus opens in March 
and continues into the fall. The natives attack him 
with the spear, when they find him lying upon the ice. 
If he is in the water, they assail him with line and har- 
poon. In the latter case, the attack often becomes a 
regular battle, the male gallantly fronting the assault 
and charging the hunters with furious bravery. It 
often happens 
that the male, 
the female, and 
the calf are all 
killed in one of 
these contests. 

When a wal- 
rus is secured, 
the igloos — 
those poor, mis- 
erable dens — 
become scenes 
of life and ac- 
tivity. Stacks 
of jointed meat are piled upon the ice. Women are 
stretching the hide for sole leather. Men are cut- 
ting out harpoon lines. Tusky walrus heads stare at 
you from the snow bank, where they are stowed away 
for their ivory. The dogs are tethered to the ice. 
And the children, each armed with a curved walrus rib, 
are playing bat and ball among the drifts. 

The Greenlanders are never idle, and never lose a 
day when it is possible to hunt. When prevented by 
storms, they work at stowing away the carcasses of 




UMANAK CHURCH. 



108 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



previous hunts. The excavation made for this purpose 
is called a " cache." The jointed meat is stacked inside 
and covered with heavy stones. Sometimes the flesh 
of eight or ten walruses is stored away in a single cache. 

It would seem that what has been gained during a 
season of plenty would be sufficient to put the Esqui- 
maux beyond want during the following winter ; yet it 
often happens that they suffer from hunger. The true 
cause of this scarcity is excessive eating. Their law is 
that all shall share with all. If one settlement falls 
short, all the members of it migrate to the neighboring 
village, and thus the tax on the latter place is great. 

The seal is prized as food as well as for his skin. 
Lying by the side of their breathing holes, seals fall an 
easy prey to the hunter. The natives resort to strategy 
to secure them. They erect a white screen on a sledge, 
which the hunter pushes in front of him, and behind 
which he hides until he comes near them. 

Other animals sought for are the fox, the hare, and 
the polar bear. The latter has been killed in such large 
numbers that it is now nearly extinct. During the 
summer time, the natives vary their diet by catching 
birds. They have the sandpiper, the grouse, the plover, 
and the auk, besides sea fowls of different kinds. 

When the matron of the igloo wishes a bird supper, 
she calls a boy and sends him in search of little auks. 
These birds breed in large numbers in the rubbish 
under the edge of the cliffs. The boy climbs the cliff 
and, with a purse net of seal skin at the end of a nar- 
whal's tusk, in a few minutes catches all he can carry. 

Of the sea fowl, the lumme and eider duck are of the 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 109 



most importance. The lumme is about the size of a 
canvasback duck. It selects for a summer home the 
ledges close to the water. Some of these shelves are 
not more than a foot wide ; others are three feet or 
more. Some are not more than ten feet long, while 
others measure several rods. But on all of them, birds 
are sitting, bolt upright, packed close together and 
facing outward. They make no nest, and the female 
lays but one egg. This, by means of her bill, she 
stands on its end and then sits down on it, as if it 
were a stool. 

Eider ducks are to be found in the largest numbers 
in Duck Islands, a hundred miles, north of Upernavik. 
These islands are covered with innumerable pools of 
snow water, which furnish moisture for the growth of 
large quantities of moss. At length the water evapo- 
rates, leaving the moss dry. In this, the ducks build 
their nests, lining them with the delicate down which 
grows upon their breasts. Each bird with her bill 
plucks out a good handful, leaving the feathers intact. 
When she goes away from her nest, she covers her eggs 
with this warm material. 

People from farther south make descents upon these 
islands and ca,rry away the nest linings, which, when 
cleaned, become the valuable eider down of commerce. 
The same down plucked from the breast even an in- 
stant after death is worthless, as it loses the wonderful 
elasticity which gives it such great value. 

The only vegetable dish of the natives is a mixture of 
sour grass and little purple flowers which grow every- 
where in the summer time. They pour a little water 



110 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




......,;;.:,.u..^.-^^k.^ 






AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. Ill 



over them and stew them for fifteen minutes. They 
never wash them before cooking, asserting that a little 
sand is good for the stomach. The flavor resembles 
that of our rhubarb. This dish is eaten only by the 
women and children. On the other hand, the men eat 
the eggs of different birds, but will not allow the 
women or children to do so. 

Some of their social customs are very peculiar. The 
old practice of carrying off the bride by force is one 
which they abandon reluctantly, even when converted. 

They have their prophet, or powwow as he is called 
among our western Indians. He acts as a sort of 
general counselor. He prescribes, or powwows, in sick- 
ness or in case of wounds. He declares the proper pen- 
ances of grief. These are sometimes very oppressive. 
The bereaved husband may be required to abstain from 
hunting seal or walrus for a year. But more fre- 
quently he is denied some luxury of food, as the rabbit 
or a choice part of the walrus. 

The inmates of the igloo are a merry, happy people. 
They are generous to a fault and never hesitate to 
sacrifice their own meal to the necessities of a guest. 
They never borrow trouble about the future. They 
seem to have no care beyond that of procuring enough 
to eat and to wear. 



112 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



CHAPTER XI. 

A PEN PICTURE OF ICELAND. 

Years ago, so say the wise men, mighty volcanic 
eruptions brought Iceland up from the bottom of the 
sea, and, ever since, fire and water have been contending 
for its possession. 

It lies in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean on 
the confines of the Arctic Ocean. Its northern coast 
reaches nearly to the Arctic Circle. It is six hundred 
miles from Norway, five hundred from Scotland, and 
two hundred and fifty from Greenland. It has an 
area of forty thousand square miles, about equal to 
that of the state of Ohio. 

Its coasts are very much broken by bays, or fiords. 
The southern shore is flat and sandy and has few good 
harbors. The remaining part of the coast is rocky and 
precipitous ; but in places the rocks have been rent 
asunder, and fiords stretch far into the interior. Lofty 
ridges of rock running out into the ocean separate them 
from one another. In some places these ridges assume 
a most magnificent appearance, attaining an elevation 
of two to four thousand feet. 

We find the Icelandic dwellings along these fiords. 
Their shores afford the best pasturage for cattle. 
Their waters are a favorite retreat for fish, especially 
the cod. They are not affected by storms, as is the 
ocean, and in them the fisherman carries on his business 
with more safety. They also resemble canals, and, 
where there is a fiord, the settlements extend far 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



113 




114 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



inland ; while in its absence only a narrow strip of 
country along the seashore is inhabited. 

The principal bay on the western coast is the Faxa 
Fiord, at the southeastern extremity of which stands 
the chief town of Iceland, called Reikiavik. The view 
of this bay from the sea is exceedingly grand. It has 
a width of fifty-six miles between its two extreme 
points, one of which runs down into a rocky ridge of 
pumice, while the other towers to the height of five 
thousand feet and is crowned with everlasting snow. 
The intervening semicircle is crowded with the peaks 
of scores of noble mountains, between whose base and 
the sea stretches a greenish slope, one part of which is 
covered with the houses that make up the town of 
Reikiavik. 

The effects of light and shade in Iceland are ex- 
tremely pure, and the contrasts of color most surpris- 
ing. The atmosphere is clearer, the light more vivid, 
and the air more bracing than in other countries. One 
mountain shines forth in a blaze of gold against another 
of darkest purple, while up against the azure sky rise 
peaks of glittering whiteness. 

On approaching Iceland, the attention of the traveler 
is arrested first by the jokuls. The word jokul means 
"ice" or "an icy mountain." The mode of their 
formation closely resembles that of the glaciers of 
Greenland. The jokuls appear long before the shore 
comes in sight, one of them being visible at a distance 
of one hundred and forty miles. 

Most of them are found in two parallel chains, which 
cross the island from northeast to southwest. They are 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 115 

separated by a deep valley. The highest summits reach 
six thousand feet. 

Mount Hecla, of which we shall speak again later, 
belongs to neither chain, but stands between them at 
their western termination and commands a view of 
both. Other mountains of this class are located in the 
northern part of the island. Another, called Sneefield, 
stands not far from Taxa Fiord. On account of its 
isolated position and lofty height, it is one of the most 
magnificent elevations on the island. 

Between these two mountain chains lies the great 
desert of Iceland. Containing, as it does, many volca- 
noes, its surface has become one great black field. 
Wide chasms and immense masses of rock interrupt 
the progress of the traveler everywhere ; and, owing 
to the magnetic influence of some of the rocks, the 
needle of the compass is rendered useless as a guide. 
There are no birds, no beasts, and scarcely a plant to 
relieve the monotony of the scene. 

There are two classes of rivers in Iceland, distin- 
guished by their color. Those which issue from the 
jokuls have a whitish color on account of the clay or 
pumice which they carry in solution. The rest of the 
rivers are like those of other lands. On account of 
their rapid flow, none of them are navigable, and they 
are characterized by sublime waterfalls. Some small 
streams, as the Cataract River, form almost a continu- 
ous succession of cascades, the water escaping from one 
dark pool merely to plunge into another. 

The rivers which rise in the jokuls, called jokul rivers, 
are often flooded, and travelers passing around the 



116 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



coast experience much difficulty in crossing them, as 
they are not bridged and there are few ferryboats. 
The only river of any considerable size on the west 
coast is the White River. This rapid jokul stream is 
forty-six miles long, and two or three hundred feet 
broad. 

The northern side of the island has a great many 
streams, of which the largest is but eighty-five miles 
long. On the eastern coast the Bridge River, fifty-six 
miles long, is the most remarkable. As this is the only 
river in Iceland spanned by a bridge, it is called Bridge 
River. 

The usual way of crossing rivers that cannot be 
forded or ferried is more hazardous. From the edge of 
the precipice on either side, two ropes are suspended on 
which a wooden box is hung. This is large enough 
to contain a man and the ordinary load of a horse. 
The traveler climbs into the box and pulls himself 
over by means of a rope. Owing to the looseness of 
the main ropes, the box passes so swiftly until it 
reaches the center of the stream that it threatens, by 
the sudden stop it makes, to throw its contents into 
the river below. When this method of crossing the 
river is employed, the horses are first made to swim 
across a little farther up stream. If they fail to reach 
a certain point formed by the projection of a rock, they 
are hurled over a dreadful cataract and are seen no more. 

Iceland has but few lakes. The largest one is but 
thirty-six miles in circumference, and the next in size, 
the Thingvalla Lake, is but twenty-five. 

The climate of Iceland is not as severe as its high lati- 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 117 



tude would indicate. In the southern part the average 
temperature for the summer is fifty-three degrees, and 
for the winter is minus twenty-nine. 

No cereals are grown ; but in some places a kind of 
wild oats is found. Potatoes, carrots, turnips, and cab- 
bage are cultivated. The only tree is the wild birch, 
which seldom attains a height of over twelve feet. 

The only wild quadruped in Iceland is the fox. 
Seals abound on the coast, where sea fowls are also 
numerous. Swans frequent the lakes. Fish are abun- 
dant on the coasts, and salmon and trout in the rivers. 

Iceland is subject to the King of Denmark, who 
shares the legislative power with the Althing, an as- 
sembly of thirty-six members, thirty of whom are elected 
by the people and six appointed by the king. The 
Althing meets at Reikiavik every second year. 

The secretary for Iceland, who resides in Copenhagen, 
is responsible to the king and the Althing for the main- 
tenance of the constitution. The king appoints a Gov- 
ernor General, who resides in Reikiavik and conducts the 
government on the responsibility of this secretary. Be- 
sides the governor general there are two amtmands, or 
under-governors, one for the south and west, the other 
for the north and east. Under these are sheriffs, each 
of whom has an assistant. Below the sheriffs are com- 
mittees of from three to five members, who administer 
the poor laws and look after the general welfare of the 
people. 

Surely some strange fascination chains the Icelander 
to his home. There are, in all, thirty known volcanoes 
on the island, and eight of them have been active within 



118 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



a century. Pasture lands have been devastated, homes 
have been ruined, and innumerable lives of cattle, horses, 
and people have been lost. And still to the Icelander 
there is no clime like the "Maid of the North." 

Hecla, one of the most famous volcanoes, is situated 
in the southwestern part of the island, thirty miles 
from the coast. It is about five thousand feet high, 
and has three peaks a little elevated above its body. 
The craters form hollows in the sides of these, and, 
together with many fissures, are generally filled with 
snow. The crater of the principal peak does not much 
exceed one hundred feet in depth. 

Since the year 900, there have been forty-three erup- 
tions of this famous volcano. The latest occurred in 
1815, and lasted over half a year. The torrent of lava, 
two miles from the crater, was a mile wide and fifty 
feet deep. The beautiful and fertile plain which once 
surrounded Hecla was buried beneath great heaps of 
cinders, pumice, sand, and ashes. For ten miles around, 
no grass nor any kind of plant can grow. The ruined 
walls of farm houses and inclosures, still seen amid the 
windings of the torrents, tell the mournful tale of pros- 
perous days passed away forever. 

The most violent eruption of Hecla occurred in 1766. 
First a huge pillar of black sand mounted slowly into 
the heavens, accompanied by subterranean thunders. 
Then a circle of flame inclosed the crater, and countless 
masses of red-hot rock and pumice were hurled incredi- 
ble distances. One boulder six feet in circumference 
was thrown twenty miles. Sand, to the depth of four 
inches, covered the ground for a circuit of one hundred 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 119 



and fifty miles. Clouds of ashes turned daylight into 
darkness. The people living in the Orkney Islands, 
which are but a short distance from Scotland, were 
badly frightened by what they thought were showers 
of black snow. After this had continued for four days, 
lava began to flow, and later an immense column of 
water shot up to the height of several hundred feet, 
accompanied by dire underground reports heard at a 
distance of fifty miles. 

But, striking as have been the eruptions of Hecla, 
those of Skapta Jokul have been infinitely more ter- 
rible. This volcano occupies the center of an unex- 
plored desert four hundred square miles in extent. 
The most noted eruption occurred in 1783. The pre- 
ceding winter and spring had been unusually mild. 
Near the latter part of May, a bluish fog began to 
hover over the desert. In June this was accompanied 
by a great trembling of the ground. On the eighth day 
of the month, immense columns of smoke hung over the 
hill country. On the tenth, countless pillars of fire 
were seen dancing and gleaming amid the icy hollows 
of the mountain. On the same day the river Skapta, 
one of the largest on the island, after discharging a 
vast quantity of fetid water mixed with sand, suddenly 
disappeared. 

Two days afterward, a stream of lava came rolling 
down the bed of the dried-up river. It filled it from 
bank to bank, though the channel was of great depth 
and two hundred feet broad ; and shortly afterwards 
it overflowed a low country, tearing up the turf before 
it and pouring into a great lake, " whose affrighted 



120 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



waters flew screaming and hissing into the air." Hav- 
ing completely filled the basin of the lake, the flood 
poured onward by two different channels. While this 
flood was marching onward by the course marked out 
by the Skapta River, a similar one followed a river 
flowing in the opposite direction and rushed onward 
with even greater fury and velocity. 

Geysers, or spouting springs, are found in every part 
of Iceland. But the larger number are found in places 
where the volcanic agencies are apparently dying out, 
this being their last manifestation of power. There 
are two kinds of geysers. One has jets of clear water, 
the other sends up puffs of scalding vapor through a 
soft mud or clay. 

The three geysers which attract the most attention 
are the Great Geyser, the Little Geyser, and the Strokr, 
or " Churn." They are situated about forty miles east 
of Thing valla. The Great Geyser does not display 
its powers oftener than once in two or three days. 
The first indication that something unusual is about 
to take place is a subterranean noise, as of artillery, 
which shakes the ground for a considerable distance 
around. Suddenly the fountain seems to explode. The 
water rushes up the pipe with amazing velocity, and is 
projected by irregular jets into the atmosphere. An 
immense amount of steam rushes out with the water, 
sometimes hiding the column entirely from view. The 
first jets do not usually exceed twenty or thirty feet. 
These are followed by one which shoots upward perhaps 
fifty feet, and this by others of lesser altitude. Then, 
as if to form a fitting climax, the geyser gathers all 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



121 



its strength and sends up a last magnificent column of 
water, ten feet in diameter, to the height of ninety feet 
or more. The eruption seldom lasts more than ten 
minutes, when, the force being exhausted, the waters 
fall with a sullen roar within the tube and leave the 
basin dry, sometimes for several hours. 




A GEYSER. 



By far the most interesting of the geysers is the 
Strokr. The Great Geyser cannot be forced into 
action, and, unless parties have leisure to stay two or 
three days to await its pleasure, they may not witness 
an eruption at all. It would not perforin for Prince 
Napoleon nor for the king of Denmark, who visited it 
at the time of the Millennium. Truly the Great Geyser 
is no "respecter of persons." But obliging Strokr 



122 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



may be induced, by artificial means, to display its 
powers at any time. It differs from the other geysers 
in having no basin ; and therefore it is possible to 
approach close to the pipe, which is about six feet in 
diameter. The boiling water rises to within twelve 
feet of the top, where it remains bubbling and splash- 
ing, with an occasional emission of steam. 

In order to provoke an eruption, a large number of 
sods must be collected and thrown into the funnel. 
After the irritation from this has been endured for 
thirty or forty minutes, a rumbling, angry sound is 
heard ; then, with a roar, the black mass is upheaved. 
A column of water, as large as the opening and con- 
sisting of innumerable jets, shoots into the air to the 
height of forty or fifty feet, carrying along with it 
the whirling masses of sods. Many of the sods and 
much of the water fall back into the opening, only 
to be ejected again and again. The greatest height 
attained is over a hundred feet. After the eruption 
has lasted about ten minutes, the water gradually sub- 
sides and remains boiling at its accustomed depth. 

One of Iceland's great chieftains was named Snorre 
Sturleson. He did two things which have made his 
name famous. He wrote a book about the kings of 
Norway, and he built in Iceland the famous bath which 
for more than six centuries has survived the ravages of 
time. This grand specimen of his ingenuity forms 
a nobler monument than any of his most zealous 
admirers could have erected to his memory. 

It is perfectly circular in form, and fifteen feet in 
diameter. It is constructed of hewn stones, which 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 123 



exactly fit one another and have been joined together 
by a fine cement. The floor is paved with stone of the 
same kind, and a stone bench, capable of seating thirty 
persons, runs round the inside of the bath. 

The water is supplied from a hot spouting fountain, 
five hundred feet to the north. It is carried by an 
underground aqueduct, constructed of stones cemented 
together in the same way as those that form the bath. 
On reaching the basin, the water is admitted through a 
small aperture, which is closed up with a stone when a 
sufficient amount has been received. There is another 
opening at the bottom of the bath, by means of which 
the water is allowed to run away,. and thus the bath is 
kept perfectly clean. 



CHAPTER XII. 
THE CAPITAL, THE COUNCIL, AND THE PEOPLE. 

Reikiavik, with a population of four thousand, is 
the capital of Iceland. 

Of the two principal streets of Reikiavik, one stretches 
along the shore and is built up on one side only. It is 
occupied altogether by merchants. Their stores, which 
resemble those of our country towns, are much crowded 
with a great variety of merchandise. The other street 
strikes off at the west end of the town, and runs back 
into the interior toward a little lake. It contains the 
houses of the bishop and some other officials. . At the 
east end of the town, back of the merchants' street and 



124 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 125 



running parallel with, it, is a street on which fronts the 
house of the governor. 

The church, standing by itself on a gentle rise of 
green, is a short distance southwest of the governor's 
house. It is built of lava blocks, brick, and stucco. 
It is much larger than the ordinary church building, 
and is capable of seating about twelve hundred people. 

The jail, or house of correction, is one of the most 
prominent buildings in the town. It stands on the ris- 
ing ground at the end of the governor's house, and 
has never had an occupant, which certainly speaks well 
for the descendants of the vikings. Crime and theft 
are unknown in Iceland. Soldiers and policemen are 
not needed. Even Reikiavik, corrupted as it is by 
its foreign population, employs but one policeman in 
winter, and two in summer. 

The dwelling houses of Reikiavik are nearly all built 
of wood, and have storehouses and gardens attached to 
them. Their outside appearance is very neat, and their 
inside arrangement is both pleasing and convenient. 
The streets are level, and black with volcanic sand. 
They are comparatively wide and clean. 

While we are in Reikiavik we must visit the valley 
of Thingvalla, forty miles to the east. The people of 
Iceland regard this place as almost sacred ; since here, 
for more than nine hundred years, the national council, 
or Althing, was accustomed to meet and deliberate 
upon matters of public interest. Thingvalla means the 
" plains of the council." 

Iceland was first settled by a band of Irish monks 
about 795 to 800 a.d. In the year 874 two cousins 



126 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



from Norway landed on its shores. They were so well 
pleased with the country, and circulated so good a re- 
port of it, that settlers from northern European coun- 
tries poured in rapidly. These were not from the dregs 
of society, but came from the better classes. They 
formed a government resembling our republic. The 
highest officer was called the lagmann. He was the 
supreme judge of the island and the president of the 
Althing. At first he held the office for life, but later 
the term was limited. The republic continued for three 
hundred and thirty-two years, and down to 1262 was 
the only free republic in the world. During its exist- 
ence, thirty-one persons were chosen to this office of 
lagmann. Several of these served two terms each. 

The existence of the republic was marked by un- 
equaled literary and political vigor. But in 1262 it 
came to a violent end, on account of its own chieftains 
intriguing against the liberties of its people. At that 
time it took the oath of allegiance to the king of Nor- 
way, and in 1380 became a province of Denmark. 

With the loss of self-government, the people seemed 
to lose their political enthusiasm and mental power. 
Up to this time, literature had held an important place. 
While Europe was sunk in intellectual darkness and 
engaged in fearful wars, the historic events, not only 
of Iceland but of other countries, were rescued from 
oblivion by the native poets of Iceland. These his- 
torical poems were recited in public and private, and 
were well known among the people. Beside being 
committed to memory, they were engraved in runic 
characters ; and, after the introduction of Christianity, 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



127 



in Roman letters also. As these poets wandered every- 
where, and were always received with honor, they 
brought back to Europe the recollection of important 
events which would otherwise have been forgotten. 

When Iceland commemorated its millennium in 1874, 
the principal exercises were held in Thingvalla, and 





GREAT CHASM WORN BY A GLACIER. 



the king of Denmark and all other foreign visitors 
journeyed thither to assist in the celebration. 

A great chasm separates the Thingvalla from the 
plain which must be traversed in order to reach it. 
This chasm is called by a difficult Icelandic name which 
means the "Chasm of All Men." Behind us lies the 
lava-covered barren plateau : in front of us is a beauti- 
ful, gay, sunlit plain, sunk to a level lower by a hundred 
feet, and stretching away ten miles to the eastward, 



128 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



where it is terminated by the corresponding chasm 
called the "Chasm of the Ravens." This chasm is 
about one hundred and eighty feet deep, and as many 
wide. 

But how shall we get into the valley ? A natural 
pathway, accidentally formed in the face of the cliff, 
leads across the bottom and up the other side of the 
chasm into the plain of Thingvalla. 

Near the center of the valley are a church and a par- 
sonage, and not far from these, to the northwest, is the 
most famous spot in the whole plain. It is called the 
" Mount of Laws." By some strange freak of nature, 
as the subsiding plain cracked and shivered into thou- 
sands of fissures, an irregular oval area, about three 
hundred and fifty feet long by fifty wide, was left 
almost entirely surrounded by a crevice so deep and 
broad as to be utterly impassable. This fissure, filled 
to within sixty feet of the top with bright green water, 
is in places forty fathoms deep, while at other points 
no bottom can be found at all. A narrow causeway at 
one extremity of this oval area connects it with the 
adjoining plain and permits access to its interior. At 
one point alone it is barely possible to leap the chasm ; 
and an ancient worthy, pursued by his enemies, did 
actually perform this dangerous feat. But, as falling 
short one inch would entail certain drowning, it would 
be unwise for any of us to make the attempt. 

It was this fortified spot that the founders of the 
Icelandic constitution chose for the meetings of their 
Althing. The meetings were held in the open air in 
the last half of June, until 1690, at which time a house, 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 129 



that is now in ruins, was built for the purpose. In 
1800 the place of meeting was transferred to Reikiavik. 

At the time of the assembling of the ancient Al- 
thing, crowds of people came from all over the island. 
The president sat near the center of the Mount of Laws, 
and the judges sat round him on banks of earth which 
are still visible. An armed guard defended the narrow 
causeway. The people crowded as near as the terrible 
chasm would permit. The old laws were read, and new 
ones were enacted. Persons charged with crime were 
tried, and either acquitted or sentenced to immediate 
punishment. 

At the time of its millennial celebration in 1874, 
the Thingvalla presented a picture such as had never 
been witnessed there before. Tents large and small 
crowded every available space. Flags of every nation 
were flying over the great pavilion, while the flag of 
free Iceland — a white falcon on a blue ground — 
floated from the Mount of Laws. 

It was a great event. A song of welcome to the 
king of Denmark was sung, a genuine Icelandic dinner 
was given, and the usual toasts were delivered. Later 
in the day, when the king rode away up through the 
rift, the great crowd of people assembled on both sides 
of the road, in order to give him one more farewell 
cheer. Guessing their intention, the king graciously 
dismounted and walked, shaking hands with many of the 
people and bowing to all. On his ascending the pass 
which leads out of the rift, the people burst into their 
last farewell cheer, which lasted till he was out of sight. 
Thus appropriately ended the ceremony at Thingvalla. 



130 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



A farmhouse of the modern Icelander consists of a 
number of small cottages joined together. Sometimes 
the walls are composed of driftwood, but usually they 
consist of immense blocks of lava laid one upon another. 
The holes or cracks are stopped up with moss or earth. 
Some of these houses have the usual sort of rafters, but 
the majority of them have whale ribs instead. These 
are covered with brushwood, on top of which turf is 
heaped. This turf bears a good crop of grass, which is 
carefully cut for hay. 

The houses have no chimneys, and a fire is never 
kept in any room except the kitchen, even in the coldest 
weather. The smoke passes out through a hole in the 
roof. The only windows are small pieces of glass or 
thin skin, four inches square, which are placed in the 
roof. No attention is given to ventilation, and the 
atmosphere of the houses is almost unendurable to a 
foreigner. The natives' sense of smell is deadened by 
the universal habit of taking snuff. 

The Icelanders are descendants of the ancient Norwe- 
gians. They have mixed, especially along the coast, 
with Danes and Swedes. They are of moderate size, 
with yellow hair and blue eyes, quiet in disposition, 
polite, and exceedingly hospitable. Their piety is also 
very marked. The feebleness of their constitutions is 
due to poor food and want of proper care and exercise 
while young. The head is moderately large, and the 
countenance open, but possessed of a dreamy look, due 
to the prominence of the eyeballs. The cheek bones 
are too high to look well. Poor teeth are unknown, 
and there is not a dentist on the island. A corpulent 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



131 







THOR, THE NORSE GOD OF THUNDER. 



person is seldom seen in Iceland. The women are pale 
and sallow, owing to the imperfectly lighted and venti- 
lated houses and the long winter nights. The men 



132 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



have long bodies and short legs. The universal manner 
of traveling is on horseback. 

The ancient Icelanders were worshipers of the gods 
Thor and Odin. In the year 1000, when the national 
council met at Thingvalla, advocates of Christianity 
proposed its adoption as the national religion. The 
discussion was a very excited one, and when it was at 
its height, a subterranean peal of thunder shook the 
ground. " Hark ! " cried the orator of the heathen 
party, "hear how angry is Odin that we should even 
consider the subject of a new religion ; his fires will 
consume us, and justly." For some moments, it 
looked as if the new religion had received a fatal blow. 
But a quick-witted chieftain, who favored it, changed 
the tide of opinion by asking, " With whom, then, were 
the gods angry, when the plain upon which we stand 
was melted ? " This argument had the desired effect. 
Christianity was adopted as the national religion. 

At first their religious beliefs were few and simple, 
but subsequently they adopted the doctrines of the 
Catholic Church. A few centuries later, Catholicism 
gave way to Protestantism ; and since then the people 
have remained strict Lutherans. 

The everyday dress of the Icelandic peasant resem- 
bles that of a common sailor. The short jacket and 
wide trowsers are fashioned of homemade cloth, and 
are black, gray, or blue in color. They wear woolen 
stockings and have either short boots or shoes, made of 
untanned leather and without heels. 

The everyday costume of the women is very simple 
and becoming. The dress is made of woolen stuff, and 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 133 

H 




ODIN, THE CHIEF GOD IN NORSE MYTHOLOGY. 



134 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



is worn with long sleeves and an apron. The head- 
dress is a flat round piece of cloth fastened on with pins 
and adorned with a long tassel of black silk. 

The Sunday dress is quite richly ornamented. The 
black or red bodice, the seams of which are covered 
with strips of velvet, is fastened in front with silver 
clasps. A high velvet ruff is worn around the neck. 
Over this is a black jacket with silver buttons. A 
cloak lined with velvet and fastened with silver clasps 
is worn outside of this. The stockings and shoes re- 
semble those of the men. But the helmetlike headdress 
is the most remarkable article of the toilet. It is made 
of white linen stiffened with pins, and usually stands 
from fifteen to twenty inches high. Near the head it 
is round, but higher up it curves first backward and then 
forward. It is bound on by a colored handkerchief 
wound several times around the head. On important 
occasions it is decorated with gold or silver. 

The people have few amusements, and their taste for 
music has nearly died out. But they love to read, and 
have a passion for poetry and history. In the south- 
ern part of Iceland the shortest winter day is but four 
hours long, while in the northern part they have one 
week during which the sun never rises at all. On long 
winter evenings, all the members of the family and the 
servants gather in the sitting room and busy themselves 
with some sort of work, as knitting, spinning, or pre- 
paring shoe soles. One member of the family, previ- 
ously selected, places himself near the lamp and reads 
aloud from some volume of history or poetry. 

There are but few schools in Iceland, and the chil- 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 135 



dren are taught at home by their parents. The pastor 
of the church usually tests their progress by three or 
four examinations in the course of the year. But, not- 
withstanding their lack of advantages, all the people 
are well read, and, with few exceptions, write a legible 
and beautiful hand. 

There are in reality only two seasons in Iceland, — 
winter and summer. In the winter the family rise 
about seven o'clock. The women prepare the meals, 
which are very simple. Stockfish, which is the cod or 
haddock dried without salt, butter made without salt 
and allowed to sour, and sour whey, form the custom- 
ary dishes for breakfast and supper. The dinner is the 
same varied with sago soup, curds, Iceland moss, and 
occasionally mutton. Besides cooking, the women knit, 
spin, and sew. 

The men take care of the cattle and sheep, make 
horseshoes, prepare leather, and, when nothing else is 
at hand, help the women about the knitting. 

The summer ushers in a far greater range of employ- 
ment. The fishing season opens on the third of Feb- 
ruary and continues till the twelfth of May. Early in 
the morning the men betake themselves to their boats 
and stay all day. On returning to the land they give 
half the fish to the owner of the boat, whether he has 
been with the company or not. The fish are then split 
and dried on the rocks or in open sheds. When the 
fishing season is over, the men prepare turf for fuel. It 
is cut from the ground in blocks and placed in small 
heaps to protect it from the rain. 

But the busiest season begins in July. The people 



136 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



then turn their attention to the interior ; for at that 
time the hay harvest commences. Much of their com- 
fort depends upon this crop, as, without it, their cat- 
tle could not survive the winter. The men use short 
scythes about two feet long and two inches broad. The 
women attend to drying and raking it into heaps. It 
is then made into bundles, which are carried home 
either by the men, or on the backs of horses, one bundle 
being secured on each side. The better hay is given to 
the cattle, while the coarser hay, cut from the marshes, 
is reserved for the sheep. 

The hay harvest being over, the men go in search 
of the sheep, which, during the summer months, are 
turned loose to wander at will over the mountains. 
Sheep in Iceland are never sheared. The wool is pulled 
off instead, so as to avoid cutting the long hair, which 
is the principal protection against rain. 

During two or three weeks in the summer, when 
the men are fishing, or have gone to distant towns for 
purposes of trade, the Iceland moss is gathered. This 
work is done by the women, two or three going from 
each farm. They travel on horseback, carry food and 
tents with them, form large companies, and take two 
or three men along to protect them from the robbers 
whom they never see, but whom they believe to exist 
in the uninhabited interior. The short period of time 
which the women spend in this way, wandering about, 
amid the romantic scenery of their wild island home, is 
one of the happiest of their lives, and they look forward 
to it with the greatest expectations. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 137 



CHAPTER XIII. 
THE FAROES, SHETLANDS, ORKNEYS, AND HEBRIDES. 

The Faroe Islands, twenty-four in number, are in 
the Atlantic Ocean, three hundred miles southeast of 
Iceland and two hundred northwest of the Shetland 
Islands. The area of the group is five hundred square 
miles, and the population thirteen thousand. The 
coasts, which are steep and lofty, are broken by deep 
inlets, whirlpools, and rapids. There are no large 
valleys or streams, but small lakes of fresh water are 
numerous. 

The Faroese belong to the same stock as the Ice- 
landers, though they are not so intellectually inclined. 
They are governed by a Danish bailiff and a director of 
the police, and are represented in the Danish legislature 
by a deputy appointed by the king. 

The agricultural products are small, owing to the 
rocky character of the soil and the shortness of the 
summer, which lasts merely through July and August. 
The only grain that can be ripened is barley. 

Fishing is an important industry. When a school of 
dolphins is in sight, the news is communicated by sig- 
nal fires, and the boats, to the number of several hun- 
dred, quickly surround the prey, driving them into shal- 
low water, where they are speedily dispatched. The 
land is well adapted for the raising of sheep, cattle, and 
ponies. 

The chief town is Thorshavn, situated on the rocky 
hills surrounding two bays separated by a peninsula. 



138 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



■:m\ 




A NATIVE OF THE FAROE ISLANDS. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 139 



The character of the ground has caused the houses to 
be placed in utter confusion, which makes it very diffi- 
cult to find the way from one point to another. The 
streets are nothing but steep, irregular lanes paved 
with stones, and so narrow as often to admit of people 
going only in single file. The refuse from the houses 
is thrown into the streets, and the odors of fish and oil 
predominate everywhere. 

The houses are small, miserable, wooden buildings, 
with sod roofs, and tarred to preserve them from damp- 
ness. The fronts and projecting corners are decorated 
with strings of fish hung up to dry. 

Let us enter one of the shops, a fair representative of 
its class. It stands at the end of a dark, poorly paved, 
winding alley. In one corner, the men are drinking ; 
in another, women are making trifling purchases over 
which they are chatting with evident satisfaction. The 
room is crowded with a great variety of articles. Can- 
dies, pins, snuff, nails, kegs of fish, and " fire-water " are 
all stored here awaiting prospective buyers. 

The people are characterized by ruddy complexions, 
abundant light-colored hair, blue eyes, tall stature, and 
stalwart forms. Their dress is like that of the Norwe- 
gians. The men wear woolen breeches of their own 
manufacture, buttoned below the knee. Their upper 
garments are like those of a northern fisherman. 
They wear long, woolen stockings and seal-skin shoes, 
and over these they pull wooden clogs for protec- 
tion against the dampness of the pavement. The 
dress of the women is not peculiar, with the excep- 
tion of the headdress, which consists of a black silk 



140 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 141 



handkerchief tied behind, with a point toward the 
forehead. 

As in Iceland, all the people are Lutherans ; but the 
altar, the burning candles, and the tones, attitude, and 
dress of the clergymen remind one of the Catholic 
Church service. 

The Shetland and Orkney islands are in the North 
Sea, and form a county of Scotland. The Orkneys 
are separated from the mainland by Pentland Firth, 
and the Shetlands lie fifty miles northeast of them. 
There are sixty-seven islands in the Orkney group, and 
nearly a hundred in the other, and altogether they con- 
tain a little more than nine hundred square miles. 

The people of these islands, both in language and cus- 
toms, bear traces of the old Scandinavians and the Norse 
vikings who settled there long before the historic period. 
Their life is uneventful, there being scarcely any excite- 
ment except that arising from perils at sea. They are 
in fairly comfortable circumstances, and extreme want 
seems to be unknown. 

Kirkwall, the principal town in the Orkney group, 
is a place of great antiquity. The streets, though steep 
and narrow, are well paved, and the houses have a 
comfortable though quaint appearance. The great 
point of interest here is the cathedral of St. Magnus, 
which is more than seven hundred years old. It is 
one of the best specimens of Gothic architecture in 
existence. It is built of red sandstone, and was begun 
by Ronald in memory of his uncle. It is two hundred 
and twenty-six feet long and fifty-six feet wide, the 



142 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



cross or transept being ninety-two by twenty-eight 
feet; it is seventy-one feet high inside, and one hun- 
dred and forty to the top of the present spire. The 
cross is the oldest part, and contains four massive 
Gothic pillars twenty-four feet in circumference, 
spanned by five arches, the central spire resting upon 
these; and the next six pillars are perhaps even older. 




STROMNESS, ORKNEY ISLANDS. 

Its windows, doors, arches, and colonnades are all 
worthy of close examination. In the choir is the 
famous Gothic rose window three hundred and fifty 
years old ; it consists of four arches, separated by 
three stone divisions surmounted by the twelve-leaved 
rose. 

The three bells of the cathedral are nearly as old as 
the window. The principal door is on the west side, 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 143 



and still shows traces of elaborate carvings. The 
interior is simple and grand. The aisles and floor 
contain several strangely sculptured stones, which 
mark the resting place of Norse celebrities. The 
steeple was destroyed by lightning over three hundred 
years ago, and has never been rebuilt. 

The Mound of Maeshowe, about nine miles from 
Kirkwall, is one of the most important antiquarian 
discoveries in Great Britain. It is a circular mound 
of earth thirty-six feet high and ninety feet in diameter, 
surrounded by a shallow trench forty feet wide. It 
contains a central chamber fifteen feet square and 
thirteen feet high, from which branch off three cells, 
one each to the north, east, and south. On the west 
side is the door opening into a passage fifty-four feet 
long, formed of large stone slabs set on edge. The 
age of the mound is not known, but the most probable 
opinion is, that it was built as a place of burial for 
noted personages by the Celts or Picts, as early as the 
eighth or ninth centuries. The walls are covered with 
inscriptions and with figures of animals, one of the 
latter being a winged dragon pierced by a sword. 

Stromness, a seaport on the western coast of Main- 
land, thirteen miles from Kirkwall, is a most pictur- 
esque locality. 

The chief town of the Shetland Islands is Lerwick, 
near the middle of Mainland, the largest island of the 
group. The houses are crowded together on the hill- 
side. Almost every store is engaged in the sale of 
hosiery, veils, and shawls, for which the islands are 
famous. The fabric is so delicate, and the colors and 



144 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 145 



patterns are so pretty, that it is hard to resist the temp- 
tation of buying some of the bewitching drapery. 

One of the finest buildings is the Anderson Institute, 
presented to the county by Mr. Arthur Anderson, a 
native of the Shetlands. It consists of an upper school 
and an elementary one, both of which are well attended, 
the instruction being of a very efficient character. 
The Widows' Asylum was also erected by Mr. Ander- 
son for the benefit of the widows of Shetland sailors and 
fishermen. The Shetlanders are excellent sailors, and 
many of them hold responsible positions as officers on 
ocean steamships of the highest grade. 

The Shetland ponies, those favorites with the boys 
and girls, are to be found here, feeding in the pastures 
or patiently plodding over the roads with heavy bur- 
dens on their backs. They are very small, rough- 
coated on account of exposure and want of care, but 
very strong and docile. 

The Orkney and Shetland islands form one sheriff- 
dom, but the sheriff has a substitute in each group. 
The County of Orkney and Shetland, as it is called, 
returns one member to Parliament, and Kirkwall is 
included in the Wick district, which returns one mem- 
ber. The population of the Orkneys is thirty-two thou- 
sand, and that of the Shetlands twenty-nine thousand. 

Hebrides is a name sometimes applied collectively to 
all the islands on the west coast of Scotland. Those 
inhabited number about one hundred and twenty, and 
the entire area is estimated at about three thousand 
square miles. They are divided into two groups, the 



146 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



Outer and the Inner Hebrides, and the total popula- 
tion is about one hundred thousand. Sheep are raised 
extensively, and fishing is one of the best paying in- 
dustries. 

Lewis, with Harris, the most northern and the largest 
of the Outer Hebrides, is a rugged, bare island, includ- 
ing many low, swampy tracts. Much of the surface is 




A CROFT IN THE HEBRIDES. 



covered with peat and with the remains of ancient 
forests. In olden times the Druids inhabited the 
island, and many of their ruined fortresses and edifices 
remain to this day. 

Skye, the next in size after Lewis, and the most 
northern of the Inner Hebrides, is noted for its grand 
and picturesque scenery. In some places the coast pre- 
sents magnificent basaltic formations far exceeding the 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 147 




A SKYE OCTOGENARIAN AND HIS GRANDSON. 



148 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



Giant's Causeway in grandeur. Over these cliffs descend 
many remarkable waterfalls, and their bases are fre- 
quently worn into deep caves, some of which are of 
historical interest. There are many beautiful inland 
lakes, one of which has been made famous by Sir Walter 
Scott in his " The Lord of the Isles." 

Staffa is a small basaltic island of the Inner Hebrides, 
especially noted as the site of Fingal's Cave. Iona, 
another island of this group, was an ancient seat of the 
Druids. The cathedral, which is now in ruins, was 
founded in the thirteenth century. 

Enjoying the benefit of the Gulf Stream, the climate 
of the Hebrides is peculiarly mild. Snow seldom lies 
long on the shores or low grounds, and in sheltered 
spots tender plants are not nipped by winter frosts. 
Drizzling rains are frequent, and the islands are often 
enveloped in mist. 

In recent years many large estates have passed from 
old families of note into the hands of opulent modern 
proprietors, by whom extensive improvements have 
been made. The greatest improvement of all, how- 
ever, has been the work of a Glasgow firm, by whom 
has been established an extraordinary system of steam 
navigation in connection with the Hebrides, calculated 
to bring them within the sphere of trade and the reach 
of tourists. By opening up remote tracts, formerly 
reached only with extreme difficulty, this system may 
be said to be gradually altering the character of the 
islands and giving them a new value. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



149 




150 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

NOVA ZEMBLA AND OTHER ISLANDS OF THE NORTH. 

Nova Zembla is a name applied to two large 
islands of the Arctic Ocean belonging to Russia. They 
are separated from the mainland on the east by the Sea 
of Kara, and from each other by a strait. So narrow 
is this strait, and so sharp are its windings, that vessels 
are reported as having sailed some ten or fifteen miles 
into it, when, seeing land close ahead, with no apparent 
outlet in the right direction, the captains have come to 
the conclusion that they were running into some deep 
inlet, and have sailed out again in order to search far- 
ther for the strait they were actually in. 

The shape of the islands is that of an elongated cres- 
cent about five hundred miles long with an average 
width of sixty miles. The largest part of the interior 
has never been explored, and the north coast is very 
imperfectly known. The formation of the land on the 
east coast is very different from that on the west. On 
the east, low undulating plains take the place of noble 
hills, deep valleys, picturesque glaciers, and somber- 
looking ravines, for which the west coast is so conspic- 
uous. Both, however, possess many excellent harbors. 

A noticeable feature of the coast washed by the Kara 
Sea is that, where the land terminates in a bold cape, 
there is generally a rocky islet a little distance away, 
which has doubtless been detached from the mainland. 
These isolated spots are preferred by the sea birds as 
places in which to make their nests, because, being 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 151 

inaccessible to foxes, the eggs and young birds are 
secure from the depredations of these thieving animals. 

The whole territory is wild and desolate in the 
extreme. The coast swarms with seals, various kinds 
of fish, and vast numbers of waterfowl. The interior, 
which is partly covered with stunted shrubs, short 
grass, and moss, is frequented by white bears, reindeer, 
ermines, and Arctic foxes. 

The shores are literally covered with driftwood. No 
party of men, who, from shipwreck or any other cause, 
have to spend the winter there need suffer from cold, 
provided of course a stock of fuel is procured before 
the winter's snow covers the land. 

There are no permanent inhabitants, but the islands 
are visited by Russian hunters and fishers. All along 
the southwest- shore there are ruined huts, old fire- 
places, foxtraps, and, occasionally, circlets of stone 
about ten feet in diameter. The former doubtless owe 
their existence to the Russians, while the latter are, 
very likely, the remains of old Samoyecle encampments. 
These nomadic tribes, bearing a strong resemblance to 
the Esquimaux, pass a great deal of their time in south- 
ern Nova Zembla. Originally they inhabited the whole 
vast Siberian plain ; but, for many hundred years the 
Mongolians have forced themselves in among them. 
Their chief seat at present is the territory lying 
between the Obi and Yenisei rivers. 

New Siberia is a group of islands in the Arctic 
Ocean, lying north of Siberia. They are comprised 
between 73° and 76° of north latitude, near the mouth 



152 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




A SPITZBERGEN GLACIER, 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 153 



of the Lena River, consisting of numerous small islands 
and three large ones from sixty to one hundred miles 
long by twenty to forty broad. They are completely 
barren, and present in their soil and subsoil alternate 
layers of sand and ice in which are imbedded some 
curious vegetable and animal fossil remains. They 
belong to Siberia. 

Spitsbergen is a group of islands in the Arctic Ocean, 
midway between Greenland and Nova Zembla. The 
latitude of the island farthest north is 80°. This 
archipelago is classed among European islands, and is 
claimed by Russia as one of its dependencies. There 
are three large islands and many small ones. Near its 
northern limit is a group of seven islands called the 
Seven Sisters. 

Very little is known of the interior of these islands, 
but the coasts have often been explored. On approach- 
ing them, they present a grand, though desolate, pic- 
ture. An endless number of terribly cold heights rise 
one behind another, and in many places jagged, pre- 
cipitous rocks crowd down to the very water's edge. 
Glaciers are everywhere present, and frequently extend 
along the seacoast twenty miles or more without inter- 
mission. Here and there in these frozen streams may 
be seen a dark and forbidding rock rising a thousand 
feet into the air. In fact, one traveler has described 
one of these islands as " a large tract of mountainous 
snow-covered heights, planted in a bed of glaciers." 
Many of these mountain chains bristle with granite 
peaks which have an altitude of four thousand feet. 



154 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




NORDENSKJOLD IN THE ARCTIC SEAS. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 155 



The climate is intensely cold, and even during the three 
warmest months the mean temperature on the west coast 
is only 30° 50'. Vegetation is necessarily confined to 
a few plants of rapid growth. These grow only to the 
height of three or four inches, and, for the most part, 
spring up, flower, and seed in a month or six weeks. 
They produce nothing upon which human beings could 
manage to subsist. The lichens which grow on a level 
with the sea, give the land a sort of yellowish appear- 
ance. Higher up, the rising plateau, during the sum- 
mer time, is covered "with masses of stonecrop, the 
brightest of yellow in patches, together with great 
clusters of the most brilliant orange. Here and there 
the stones are covered with a sort of light green, encir- 
cled by different shades of dark blue moss, and many 
of these stones are themselves of the deepest red, on 
whose tops are growing quantities of flowers of a sere 
autumnal magenta, the whole making a very varied 
picture in coloring." 

Winter sets in in September, and for four months the 
sun remains below the horizon, but at so short a dis- 
tance from it that the darkness is relieved for about 
six hours by a faint twilight. An effect similar to this 
is also produced by the unusual brightness of the moon 
and stars, and still more by the remarkable brilliancy 
of the aurora borealis. 

These dreary lands are uninhabited by man, but their 
shores are frequently visited by English, Dutch, and 
Norwegian whalers, for the numerous whales, white 
bears, and other animals on the coasts. Spitzbergen 
is said to be a wonderful country for reindeer. So, 



156 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



each year many ships of from ten to sixty tons register 
leave the coast of Norway for the islands, expecting to 
return partly laden with reindeer meat. They also 
collect floe seals, eider ducks' eggs and nests, white 
whales, and sharks. If the season is favorable, they 
also capture walruses and white bears. 

The Lofoden Islands form a group lying northwest 
of Norway, between 67° and 69° north latitude. They 
have a length of one hundred and thirty miles and an 
area of 1560 square miles. The population numbers 
twenty thousand. They are divided by the Raftsund 
into two sections. To the west and south lie eight 
islands which form the Lofoden proper ; to the north 
and east lie six others. 

The islands are lofty and precipitous, and are com- 
posed mostly of granite and gneiss. The highest peaks 
are found in the islands of Lofoden proper, and reach 
more than three thousand feet in height. Their ap- 
pearance is wildly romantic and extraordinary. In 
some places they assume the shape of lofty cones, while 
in others they appear like the gigantic walls of some 
venerable Gothic ruin, topped with innumerable turrets. 

The channels separating the islands are narrow and 
tortuous and generally of great depth. They are re- 
markable for the strength of their tidal currents, 
particularly the Raftsund and the once famous Mael- 
strom. The more ancient the description of the latter, 
the more exciting it is, since it is the more exaggerated. 
One writer says : " When the stream is most bois- 
terous and its fury heightened by a storm, it is danger- 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 157 



ous to come within seven miles of it ; boats, ships, and 
yachts having been carried away by not guarding against 
it before they were within its reach. It likewise hap- 
pens frequently, that whales come too near the stream, 
and are overpowered by its violence ; and then it is 
impossible to describe their howlings and bellowings 
in their fruitless struggles to disengage themselves. 
A bear, once attempting to swim from Lofoden to 
Moskoe, with a design of preying upon the sheep at 
pasture in the island, afforded the like spectacle to the 
people ; the stream caught him, and bore him down, 
while he roared terribly, so as to be heard on shore. 
In the year 1645, early in the morning of Sexagesima 
Sunday, it raged with such noise and impetuosity, that 
on the island of Moskoe the very stones of the houses 
fell to the ground." 

The situation of the Maelstrom is nearly at the ex- 
tremity of the Lofoden Islands. Two large islands 
of the group, together with a chain of innumerable 
smaller ones, inclose a part of the ocean for several 
miles. In the midst of these is^ the Moskoe, a lofty 
uninhabited rock. " The whirlpool is simply caused 
by the rushing of the ocean, as the tide rises or falls, 
between this chain of islands, which impedes its course." 
The situation of the surrounding islands causes the 
Maelstrom to form a large circle ; and the great in- 
equalities of its bottom, which from a few fathoms 
deepens suddenly, increase the violence of the current. 

A recent writer describes it thus : " With respect to 
the Maelstrom, there is, in reality, no more danger than 
is attached to the Pentland Races, between the Orkney 



158 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



Islands. From the irregularity of the bottom, and the 
sea being confined within the Lofodens, a very rapid 
course is formed at certain periods, through the channel 
of the islands ; and as the passages all run in a direct 
line from the sea, they receive, particularly with certain 
winds, a very heavy swell, which, meeting the current, 
naturally creates a considerable vortex, and with the 
sea beating against the rocks, causes an impetuous 
noise, like the roar of a cataract, which sound is 
peculiar to the whole Norway coast. When I crossed 
it, I observed the fishermen in their small boats in the 
middle of the Maelstrom with their long sea lines over- 
board, quietly following their daily labors, which will 
be rather at variance with the usual reports concerning 
it. The inhabitants of the Lofodens, who call it simply 
by the name of the strom, know very little and think 
less about it." 

The climate of these islands is not extremely rigorous 
when compared with the rest of Norway. In summer 
time there are only patches of snow on the hills, the 
snow limit being three thousand feet. The pasturage 
is sufficiently good in places to admit of the rearing of 
cattle, but the growth of cereals, chiefly barley, which 
matures in ninety days, is insignificant. A few pota- 
toes are planted. No wood is yielded. 

The great characteristic industry of these islands, 
and an important source of national wealth, is the cod 
and herring fishery, which is carried on along the east 
coast from January to April. It employs about eighteen 
thousand men from all parts of Norway. The annual 
take of cod alone amounts to an average of twenty 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 159 



million. The fish are dried during the early summer 
and shipped to Spain, Holland, Belgium, and Sweden. 
Other industries arise out of the cod fishery, chief of 
which is the manufacture of cod liver oil. 

The Arctic Archipelago is an irregular group of 
islands northeast of North America, extending to Green- 
land. Some of the principal islands are Baffin Land, 
Melville Land, Grinnell Land, and Prince Albert Land. 
While for human habitation the regions are the most 
desolate that can be imagined, there is an extraordi- 
nary abundance of the lower forms of animal life. For 
centuries men have visited these islands only for the 
purpose of gathering their living products or exploring 
their shores. Traces of human habitation, in a distant 
age, are to be found in many places. At a still 
remoter period forests abounded, and Barrows Straits 
were the habitat of the coral and the sponge. 

A very large portion of the area included by the 
Arctic Ocean is still unexplored, but almost every year 
diminishes the extent of the unknown. The nearest 
approach to the pole has been made up the West Green* 
land channel. 



160 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



CHAPTER XV. 

NEWFOUNDLAND, CAPE BEETON, AND PRINCE 
EDWARD ISLANDS. 

Newfoundland, which is a British possession, lies 
on the eastern coast of North America, directly across 
the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Its southern extremity 
approaches within fifty miles of Cape Breton Island. 
Its figure resembles that of an equilateral triangle. Its 
greatest length is from Cape Ray to Cape Norman, and 
measures three hundred and seventeen miles. Its great- 
est breadth is three hundred and sixteen miles, and it 
has an area of forty-three thousand square miles. Two 
large peninsulas project from the mainland. One of 
these points north, and is long and narrow. The other, 
Avalon, on which the capital is situated, extends to the 
southeast, and is almost severed from the island, the con- 
necting isthmus being in one place but three miles wide. 

The shores present a rocky aspect, but the line of 
cliffs, two hundred to three hundred feet high, is 
broken by magnificent bays running forty to fifty miles 
inland ; so that, though the coast line measures but a 
thousand miles from headland to headland, the actual 
length is twice that distance. 

Newfoundland has an unusually large number of 
lakes and ponds, of which the largest is Grand Lake, 
containing one hundred and ninety-two square miles. 
As yet, the shores of the great lakes and the valleys 
through which flow noble streams are absolute solitudes. 

The climate is more temperate than that of the ad- 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 161 



joining continent. The thermometer seldom falls below 
zero in winter, or rises above seventy degrees in sum- 
mer. The Arctic current exerts a chilling influence 
on the east coast, but, as a compensation, it brings the 
enormous wealth of commercial fishes and seals, which 
has rendered the Newfoundland fisheries the most 
important in the world. They constitute the grand 
staple industry of the island, whose trade depends 
mainly upon the exportation of fish and oil. Codfish 
are more numerous here than anywhere else in the 
world. They are taken along the coast of the island, 
on the Banks, and along the shore of Labrador. Fish- 
ing has been carried on here for nearly four hundred 
years, and yet the supply appears to be as abundant as 
ever. 

The cod begin to appear about the first of June. 
Their arrival is heralded by the capelin, a beautiful little 
fish about seven inches long. As these press in on the 
shore, the greedy cod follow, devouring the prey by 
thousands. The capelin is the best bait for the fisher- 
man, and its stay of six or seven weeks is his richest 
harvest time. The seal industry ranks next to that of 
catching cod, but the salmon, herring, and lobster are 
also valuable fisheries. 

Among the wild animals indigenous to the island are 
the reindeer, the wolf, the black bear, and the fox. 
Birds are very numerous, and nearly all of them are 
migratory. There are but few fine specimens of the 
"Newfoundland dog" now to be found in the island 
from which it derived its name. 

The government of Newfoundland is vested in a 



162 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



hi'l: 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 163 



Governor, appointed by the Crown, and holding his 
office for six years ; an Executive Council, chosen by 
the party commanding a majority in the House of As- 
sembly, and consisting of seven members ; a Legislative 
Council of fifteen members, nominated by the Governor 
in council, and holding office for life ; and a House of 
Assembly of thirty-six members, elected every four 
years by a vote of the people. 

St. John's is the capital. The approach to its har- 
bor is striking and picturesque. In a lofty, rock-bound 
coast, we see a narrow opening guarded on each side by 
imposing hills. We enter, and awe mingles with ad- 
miration, as Ave gaze upon great cliffs of red sandstone 
piled in irregular masses upon a foundation of gray 
slate rock. On the right is Signal Hill, over five 
hundred feet high, upon which stands the " Block 
House " for signaling approaching vessels. On the 
left side is a hill rising still higher by a hundred feet. 
From its base a rocky promontory juts out, and on its 
summit stands the Fort Amherst Lighthouse. 

The Narrows, leading to the harbor, are half a mile 
long, and we must traverse two thirds of the distance 
before the city comes in sight. The channel is very 
deep, and vessels of the largest size can enter at all 
periods of the tide. 

St. John's is built on the north side of the harbor, 
on the gentle slope of a hill. There are three principal 
streets running parallel with the harbor throughout the 
entire length of the city, and these are intersected by a 
number of cross streets. 

On the hill back of the city stands the Roman Catholic 



164 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



cathedral. It is richly ornamented with statuary and 
paintings, and over the gateway and near the entrance 
are some fine pieces of sculpture. Close beside the 
cathedral are the Episcopal residence, the Catholic 
college, and the Presentation convent and schools. 

The Church of England cathedral ranks among the 
finest ecclesiastical edifices in British America. It is 
of the pointed Gothic style of architecture. Inside 
and out, it is beautifully finished, and its lofty pointed 
windows are filled with fine examples of stained glass. 

St. John's has an abundant supply of the purest 
water ; it is obtained from Windsor Lake, four and a 
half miles distant and lying five hundred feet above the 
city. The pressure is so great that water from the 
hydrants may be thrown over the highest buildings. 
In case of fire no engines are needed. 

Among the public buildings, the Government House 
and the Colonial Building are the most important. 
Both are built upon the plateau stretching inland from 
the sloping declivity on which the main portion of the 
city stands. The former is a plain, spacious building 
with no architectural beauty, but commodious and com- 
fortable in the interior. The Colonial Building was 
built of white limestone imported from Cork. It has 
a stone portico, supported by six massive Ionic pillars. 
It contains chambers for, the two branches of the legis- 
lature, and, with one exception, all of the government 
offices. The city has a population of about thirty 
thousand. 

The people of Newfoundland are descendants of the 
English and Irish. Reared in one of the healthiest 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 165 



climates in the world, with plenty of outdoor exercise, 
they are as fine a race physically as can be found. 
Owing to the stress of circumstances, their intellectual 
development has not been greatly promoted by educa- 
tional advantages ; but those who go to other countries 
for the higher education frequently carry off the first 
honors at school or college. 

They are an orderly and law-abiding people, and 
serious crime is very rare. Their kindness and hospi- 
tality to strangers visiting the country are well known. 
Benevolence is also a universal characteristic. And 
when, through the failure of the precarious fisheries, 
distress occurs, the fishermen help one another to the 
full extent of their means. 

Cape Breton Island, belonging to British America, 
lies northeast of Nova Scotia, and is separated from it 
by a channel fifteen miles wide. It is triangular in 
shape, having a length of one hundred and ten miles, 
and an extreme breadth of eighty-seven. The island is 
nearly divided into two parts by a large irregular sea- 
water lake, connected with the ocean by two channels 
which are separated from each other by a long narrow 
island. The existence of this lake makes every part of 
Cape Breton accessible by water, although the area is 
a little more than three thousand square miles. 

The two natural divisions thus created are in striking 
contrast. The northern one is high, bold, and steep ; 
while that to the south is low, intersected by numerous 
inlets, and rises gradually from its interior shore until 
it presents abrupt cliffs toward the Atlantic Ocean. 



166 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



There are several lakes of fresh water on the island, 
of which Ainslie is the largest. There are also numer- 
ous rivers, but none of them are navigable. Salt 
springs are found on the coast. The climate is varied, 
but not so rigorous as that on the adjoining continent. 
Corn and other grains may be raised. 

The forests of Cape Breton furnish large quantities 
of pine, oak, birch, beech, maple, and ash. Shipbuild- 
ing constitutes an important and lucrative branch of 
business in the island. Granite, limestone, salt, and 
coal are found — the latter in great abundance and of 
a superior quality. There are also rich deposits of the 
best iron ore. 

Cape Breton has long been noted for its fisheries. 
During the time of its occupancy by the French, not 
less than six hundred vessels were engaged in the trade 
at a time. Cod, salmon, mackerel, shad, and whitefish 
are found in great abundance. 

The island forms a colony under the government of 
Nova Scotia and sends two members to its Legislative 
Assembly. The population, made up principally of the 
descendants of Scotch, French, and Irish, numbers 
more than eighty-five thousand. 

Sydney was formerly the capital of Cape Breton. It 
is situated in the east part of the island, at the head of an 
excellent harbor which has a safe and secure entrance. 
A lighthouse has been erected on a low point of land at 
the south side of this entrance, showing a fixed light one 
hundred and sixty feet above the sea. 

The growth of the town during its century of 
existence has been exceedingly sluggish. But the 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 167 



development of the coal mines, three miles above its 
lighthouse, has brought about a great change ; so that 
Sydney is now classed with the active mercantile com- 
munities of Nova Scotia, and has direct railway con- 
nection with the rest of the continent. The coal fields 
referred to are estimated to contain two hundred and 
fifty miles of workable coal. The thickness of the 
vein worked is six feet. The coal is transported three 
miles by railway to a wharf where it is taken on board 
of vessels. At a distance of fifteen miles from Sydney 
are the Bridgeport mines, where the coal seam is nine 
feet in thickness. 

But we must not leave Cape Breton without a visit 
to Louisburg, which at one time held the fortunes of 
France at the portals of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It 
had formerly a finely built stone fortress. The harbor 
was defended by a high wall and a ditch eighty feet 
wide, a battery on Goat Island, and one called the 
" royal battery " farther down the harbor. These 
fortifications, built in thirty years and costing more 
than five and a half millions of dollars, were destroyed 
by the British in less than three months and at a cost 
of 150,000. 

No large city stands upon this historic ground. 
Nothing greets the eye but a few scattered houses, a 
deserted fort, and the boundless sea. At the north- 
east entrance of the harbor is a rocky promontory 
called the Lighthouse Point, upon which the lighthouse 
is built. It is a tall, wooden building, painted white, 
and has a fixed light. More than a hundred and fifty 
years have passed since the French built the first light- 



168 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



house on this spot. A short distance east of the light- 
house a mound of earth represents the battery which 
in Wolfe's time did so much execution on the works 
at Goat Island about a third of a mile to the south. 

We pass by the little northeast harbor, which forms 
so safe a haven, and soon reach the present village of 
Louisburg, consisting of thirty or more whitewashed 
or painted houses, a canning factory, and two or three 
churches. Shops occupy the roadside and the vicinity 
of the wharves. The ruins of the royal battery are 
visible to the west, and it is easy to trace the line of 
the works. Following the contour of the fortifications, 
we come to the old burying ground where, near the 
middle of the eighteenth century, hundreds of soldiers 
from England, New England, and France found a last 
resting place. 

Prince Edward Island lies between 46° and 47° north 
latitude on the south side of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. 
It is separated from Nova Scotia on the south, and 
New Brunswick on the south and west, by Northum- 
berland Strait, which has a varying width of nine to 
thirty miles. The greatest length of the island is one 
hundred and fifty miles, and its average breadth thirty- 
four. Its area is 2000 square miles. It is altogether 
irregular in form, but its northern outline resembles a 
crescent, the two horns being North and East capes. 
In no place does the land rise higher than five hundred 
feet, although the surface is undulating. 

The island is well watered. The Dunk is a fine 
salmon and trout stream. Many oysters and lobsters 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 169 



are taken. By the disintegration of the soft, red sand- 
stone, a bright, red, loamy soil of great fertility is 
produced. To this the province owes its remarkable 
productiveness as an agricultural district. Charlotte- 
town and Georgetown are the chief harbors. 

The gently rolling surface of the island, its rich 
fields, and its pretty homesteads embowered in green, 
give variety and beauty to the landscape. The climate 
is much milder than that of the adjacent provinces. 
Vegetation develops rapidly, and agriculture is exten- 
sively prosecuted. 

The forests have been much reduced by lumbering 
operations, fires, and the need of the people, though 
many trees still remain, — chiefly beech, birch, pine, 
maple, poplar, spruce, and fir. Shipbuilding is carried 
on, but not so extensively as in former years. 

The fisheries are exceedingly valuable, particularly 
those on the north coast. The chief kinds of fish are 
mackerel, haddock, cod, hake, and herring. Wild 
ducks, teal, wild geese, partridges, pigeons, and snipe 
are abundant. There are two hundred and sixty species 
of birds. Of wild animals, the most important are bears, 
which are seen only occasionally, lynxes, foxes, musk- 
rats, hares, and squirrels. In the summer and autumn, 
large numbers of seals frequent the shores. 

Prince Edward Island returns five members to the 
Canadian House of Commons, and four senators are 
appointed to the Canadian Senate by the Crown. 

The population, numbering about one hundred and 
ten thousand, is of mixed origin. A large proportion 
are emigrants from Great Britain, and the rest are 



170 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 171 



natives of the country, descendants of the French 
Acadians, Scotch, English, and Irish settlers, and of 
the loyalists who went to the island at the close of 
the Revolution. There are less than three hundred 
Indians. The religion is Church of England and 
Roman Catholic. 

Charlottetown, the capital, has a population of about 
twelve thousand. It is the county town of Queen's 
County. Summerside, with a population of three 
thousand, is the county town of Prince County, and 
Georgetown is the county town of King's County. 
Princeton is the chief summer resOrt. 

Anticosti is a barren island belonging to British 
America. It ifs situated in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, 
between 49° and 50° north latitude. It is 135 miles 
long by 40 miles broad. Most of the coast is dangerous, 
but lighthouses have been built at different points, and 
there are also provision posts for shipwrecked sailors. 
The lighthouse keepers and other officials are the only 
inhabitants of the island. 

Micjuelon consists of two islands off the south coast 
of Newfoundland, forming, with the adjacent island 
of St. Pierre, a colony belonging to France, with an 
area of ninety-one square miles. The united popu- 
lation of Great and Little Miquelon, as they are 
called, is over five hundred. They make fishing their 
sole occupation. 

St. Pierre lies southeast of Miquelon, from which it is 
separated by a narrow channel. It has, together with 



172 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 

one or two smaller islands belonging to the St. Pierre 
group, a population of nearly six thousand. The 
surface of these islands is rocky, and the vegetation 
scanty. The chief industry is cod fishing. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

THE BERMUDAS AND THE BAHAMAS. 

Nearly six hundred miles southeast of Cape Hat- 
teras, off the coast of North Carolina, lies a group of 
islands occupying an area about eighteen miles long by 
six wide. They number as many as there are days in 
a year, and lie in the form of the letter J. Three hun- 
dred and sixty of them are small, being nothing but 
rocky islets. Of the remaining five, the largest is 
Long Island, or Great Bermuda, and on this the capi- 
tal, Hamilton, is situated. With a single exception, 
these larger islands are connected with one another by 
bridges. The group is surrounded on all sides but 
the east by formidable coral reefs, nearly all under 
water, and extending in some places ten miles from the 
islands. 

The Bermudas belong to England, and, with the ex- 
ception of Gibraltar and Malta, are her most strongly 
fortified hold. Indeed, this is the rendezvous for the 
British fleet in this part of the world, and here are stored 
up vast quantities of arms and ammunition. In Godet's 
history it is said that, "Bermuda, conjointly with 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 173 




174 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



Halifax, holds in check the whole Atlantic coast of the 
United States, upon which nature has bestowed no 
equivalent for naval purposes ; and also controls the 
West Indies, the Gulf of Mexico, and the south coasts 
of the United States." Strangers are not allowed in- 
side the forts, but there is no law against their climbing 
the heights and making all the outside observations 
that they wish. 

This is a land of white houses. No other color is to 
be seen. They are all built of the native white stone 
of coral formation, which underlies every foot of soil. 
When first quarried, this stone is so soft that it may 
be cut with a knife, but it hardens with exposure to 
the air. When a Bermudan wishes to build himself 
a house, all he has to do is to buy a piece of land, scrape 
off a foot or two of soil, and behold ! there lies his quarry 
ready to his hand. 

By means of a saw, the stone is cut into pieces two 
feet long by one foot in breadth and in thickness. 
Then it is piled up so as to admit of the free circula- 
tion of the air. The place excavated forms the cellar, 
already walled and floored. When the blocks of stone 
are dry, the builder proceeds with the erection of his 
house. Thin, flat slabs of the same material form 
the roof. The houses, even including the roof, are 
frequently whitewashed on the outside, and contrast 
strongly with the deep-green verdure by which they 
are surrounded. There are no shanties, as there are 
in the rest of the world; and, though there is no great 
accumulation of wealth, extreme poverty appears to be 
unknown. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 175 



The islands are very fertile, and with ordinary cul- 
tivation will yield two crops of potatoes in a year. 
No climate in the world is better adapted for beets, 
potatoes, onions, and tomatoes. Of barley, oats, and 
corn, two and sometimes three crops may be raised in 
a year. Tropical fruits, and also those of more north- 
ern latitudes, are to be found. There are strawberries 
and peaches, oranges and lemons, bananas and mul- 
berries. 

One of the conspicuous trees of the island is the flam- 
ing star, which has great star-shaped flowers of fiery 
red. Another is the monkey tree. No one knows why 
it received such a name, unless it is because no monkey 
could possibly climb it, its massive trunk being thickly 
set with short, sharp thorns. The oleander grows every- 
where, and the great straggling bushes are so covered 
with bright blossoms as to give a decided character to 
the landscape. 

There are but few birds that make their home 
in these islands throughout the entire year. One of 
these is the bluebird. Another is the scarlet grosbeak, 
noted for the brilliancy of his plumage and the sweet- 
ness of his song. Besides these there are the ground 
doves — tiny creatures clad in quiet gray and as demure 
as their color. 

The population, consisting of about fifteen thousand 
people, is composed of whites, free blacks, and mulat- 
toes. All classes seem to lack the energy which is so 
characteristic of the people of the United States. The 
work is done mostly by the negroes, and they can live 
well by working three days in the week. Working 



176 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



seems to be the exception, and doing nothing the rnle, in 
this favored clime. It is said that when the sonth wind 
blows, everybody feels lazy, — and the south wind is 
very prevalent. 

The government is vested in a Governor, an Execu- 
tive Council of six members, and a Legislative Council 
of nine members — all appointed by the Crown, and 
a House of Assembly of thirty-six members, returned 
by the nine parishes. 

The lighthouse on Gibbs Hill is the pride of the 
Bermudas. It is on the southern point of Long Island, 
and six miles from Hamilton. Let us make a visit to 
this famous light. Driving down Front Street, we 
pass the Parliament House, the Public Library, and 
Pembroke Hall with its group of royal palms. Then, 
rounding the harbor, the way leads through Paget and 
Warwick streets into Southampton, past fine country 
mansions and cozy cottages, with here and there a 
glimpse of the sea. 

When we leave the main road to ascend the hill, we 
pass a ruined house which looks canny and unreal amid 
the splendid verdure. But we press steadily up the 
hill, which is next to the highest point on the islands^ 
and, when we have reached the top, we are only two 
hundred and forty-five feet above the water level. 

The lighthouse is a massive tower of stone, filled in 
with concrete, and is one hundred and thirty feet high. 
From the deck of a ship, forty feet above the water, 
the light may be seen thirty-three miles away. It is a 
revolving one, and is among the largest and most pow- 
erful in the world. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 177 



Although the tower is so lofty, the ascent is not dif- 
ficult. The view from the gallery is magnificent beyond 
description. We can see all the islands of the group, 
and what specks they are in the middle of the great 
waste of waters ! The exquisite coloring, the ethereal 
softness of the ever-changing tints of sea and sky, the 
purple of the reefs fading into the palest amethyst, — all 
this must be seen to be appreciated. 

To the east, south, and west lies the boundless 
expanse of ocean. To the north is the Great Sound, 
studded with innumerable islands and skirted by the 
fair, green shores of the larger islands dotted with 
• white houses half hidden in the foliage. And away 
beyond it all, the mysterious glory of the mighty waves 
blends with the still more mysterious glory of the sky. 

The Bahamas form a group of about five hundred 
islands and rocky islets, lying northeast of Cuba and 
east of the coast of Florida. They constitute the most 
northern division of the West Indies Islands. The 
Gulf Stream passes between them and the mainland. 
They have an entire length of about six hundred miles, 
extending from the Grand Bahama in latitude 27° 30' 
to Mouchoir Bank in latitude 21°. They belong to 
Great Britain. 

The discovery and early history of the Bahamas is 
of especial interest to the American people. San Sal- 
vador, or Cat Island, of this group, was the first land 
discovered by Columbus on his earliest voyage, in 1492. 
At this period the larger of the islands were densely 
inhabited by a mild and inoffensive race of Indians. 



178 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 179 



They were of fine form, and many of them had hand- 
some features. Their hair was coarse, and they wore 
it cut short, except a little at the back of the head 
which was left long and never cut. They were in the 
habit of painting the body, or only a part of it, white, 
black, red, or any other color that suited their fancy. 
They were quick, intelligent, of good demeanor, and 
were kindly disposed toward the white men. 

The later treatment of this people by the Spaniards 
was utterly barbarous. |' Their lands and goods were 
first taken from them. Their persons were next seized, 
under the text that 4 the heathen are given as an inherit- 
ance.' The Spaniards with appalling atrocity proceeded 
to act towards these unfortunates as if they did not 
belong to the human race. It was one unspeakable 
outrage, one unutterable ruin, without discrimination 
of age or sex. They who died not under the lash in 
a tropical sun, died in the darkness of the mine." In 
fourteen years the inhabitants of the Bahamas, num- 
bering about forty thousand persons, were totally exter- 
minated. 

The islands remained uninhabited for nearly one 
hundred and fifty years, when they were colonized by 
the English, who were afterward expelled by the Span- 
ish. Subsequently, a change of masters occurred again 
and again ; but, finally, the Bahamas were ceded to 
Great Britain in 1783. 

They extend from Great Bahama to the Caicos group, 
a distance of about six hundred miles. The principal 
islands are Great Bahama, Great and Little Abaco, 
Andros, New Providence, San Salvador, Harbor, Wat- 



180 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



ling, Long, and Crooked Islands. The entire area is 
about fifty-five hundred square miles, and the popu- 
lation forty-eight thousand. Nassau, on the island 
of New Providence, is the capital. The legislature 
consists of a Governor and Council appointed by the 
crown, and a House of Assembly. Education is under 
the management of a board of education. 




AVENUE OF SPANISH LAURELS. 



Generally speaking, the islands are long and narrow, 
and present a flat appearance. Their soil is well 
adapted to the growth of various kinds of fruit. Of 
the whole group not more than twelve or fourteen are 
inhabited, and some of the largest are altogether unin- 
habited or but thinly peopled ; while others again are 
mostly unexplored. Though generally sterile, some of 
the islands produce oranges, limes, lemons, esculent 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



181 



vegetables, and maize for the consumption of the in- 
habitants, and some cotton for exportation. The wild 
vegetation consists of mahogany, lignum-vitse, pigeon, 
alum, and dyewoods, with an entangled underbrush. 
In the more southern islands there are salt ponds of 
great value, the cultivation of which is increasing con- 
stantly. 

The city of Nassau is built on the north shore of the 




SHORE ROAD, NASSAU. 



island of New Providence and has a population of about 
eleven thousand, one fifth of whom are white. The 
principal part of the city was built many years ago, 
and many of the streets are named after members of 
the royal family in England, as George, Frederick, 
and Cumberland streets. 

The harbor of Nassau is a good one, its natural break- 
water being formed by Hog Island, which lies about 
half a mile from shore. The chief entrance is at the 



182 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



west end, where the water is deep enough to admit 
vessels drawing seventeen feet of water. The town is 
built on sloping ground, rising to an elevation of about 
ninety feet and fronting the harbor. Each house has 
its own garden, in which grow all sorts of creepers 
laden with blossoms of every color, besides a wealth of 
roses, jasmine, hibiscus, and double oleanders. The 
streets are bordered by stately palms, graceful bananas, 
and tall cocoanut trees, beside countless others which 
grow only in tropical climes. 

Bay Street, which is the principal business street, 
runs along the edge of the harbor. Starting from this 
one, streets run up to the top of the hill where the Gov- 
ernment House, the Royal Victoria Hotel, and other 
notable buildings are situated. In a small space, near 
the center of Bay Street, is a park devoted to the court 
of justice and other public buildings. 

The white people live in the city proper, the negro 
population living apart in the suburbs, chief of which 
are Delancy Town, Bain's, and Grant's Town. Still 
farther away are Fox Hill and Adelaide, both of which 
were settled in the first place by rescued African 
slaves. The market of Nassau is largely supplied with 
vegetables and fruit by the women of these places, 
who travel into the city every morning, carrying their 
products neatly arranged in baskets or trays upon 
their heads. Children often accompany their mothers, 
and carry palmetto thatch or leaves which are split 
into narrow pieces and woven into hats. 

There are many places in New Providence worth 
visiting. About seven miles southwest of Nassau are 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



183 



153*5 

YW- 



' 




If' 



fill: 

iiii 11 ** 



■ ■ - 




r?j a 


Z' * :*.;> 


■ ■ 




■ - 


"- 


i 


. 




184 THE WORLD AND iTS PEOPLE. 



two small lakes, Killarney and Cunningham, which 
are separated by the Blue Hills range. The surface of 
each is dotted with beautiful little mangrove islands. 
Their water is shallow and brackish, and rises and falls 
with the tide. This peculiarity is noticeable in nearly 
all the ponds and lakes in the Bahama Islands. There 
is no stagnant water here. 

The Mermaid's Pool, of fresh water, in the southern 
part of New Providence, about half a mile from the 
coast, is situated in a perfectly level plain and has no 
banks. It is one hundred and fifty feet in diameter 
and sixty-five in depth. The water comes " to the very 
brim," and "it has a depth of forty feet at the very 
edge, which is the more remarkable as the adjacent sea 
is so shallow that it would be necessary to go five miles 
from the shore before a depth equal to that of the 
pool is reached." 

But the most remarkable lake is known as " Water- 
loo, or the Lake of Fire." It is an artificial lake, within 
a short distance of Nassau, and is one thousand feet 
long by three hundred broad. It was constructed for 
the purpose of storing turtles. The bed is cut out of 
coral rock, and it is connected with the sea by a narrow 
ditch. When the gate is open, the water in the lake 
rises and falls with the tide. It is a phosphorescent 
lake, and " the phosphorescence is so powerful that the 
effect of it is unsurpassed in any other part of the 
world." The changing of the water never destroys 
the phosphorescence. No adequate explanation of the 
phenomenon has ever been made. The best time to 
visit this lake is at night. The light caused by the dip 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 185 




186 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



of the oars is sufficient to enable one to read coarse 
print. " Whenever a boat travels through the water, 
there is of course a cutting of water at the bow, and an 
eddy left just behind the stern. At Waterloo, that cut 
water and eddy are of flaming fire. The lake is full 
of fish, and as the boat moves along frightened fish dart 
about on all sides, leaving fiery trails behind them. 
Now and then a turtle is disturbed, and, as he moves 
along, he looks like a revolving sun. As the more 
distant fish move about, they form little vapory clouds 
of fire, flashing and darting about on the surface like 
northern lights." 

The Blue Hills reach an altitude of nearly one hun- 
dred and twenty feet. They are noted for the many 
caves found in them, which were doubtless the final 
resort for the unfortunate Indians when pursued by 
the Spaniards and their bloodhounds. 

The sponge fishery is the most important industry 
of Nassau, and a large number of men and vessels are 
engaged in it. All the sponges of the Bahamas are 
taken to the Nassau market, which is a large, open build- 
ing, long and narrow, and with no side walls. On the 
arrival of a vessel her cargo is sorted into piles three 
or four feet high. Each pile is labeled as belonging to 
a certain owner. Several vessels arrive every day. 
At nine in the morning the market is opened, and the 
sponge dealers assemble and look over the different 
piles, estimating and setting down the value of each. 
These estimates are handed to a clerk, who at the end 
of the day announces the highest bidder on each lot. 

The Bahamas enjoy an extremely fine climate, serene 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 187 



and temperate. Frost and extreme heat are unknown. 
There is no snow, hail, or northwest wind. For many 
years they have been popular as a health resort, and 
invalids from all parts of the world flock thither. 



CHAPTER XVII. 

THE WEST INDIES — CUBA. 

The West Indies form an extensive system of islands 
in the Atlantic Ocean, stretching from the Strait of 
Florida in North America, with a semicircular sweep, 
to the Gulf of Venezuela on the north coast of South 
America. On the north and east lies the Atlantic 
Ocean, on the south the Caribbean Sea, while on the 
west are the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. 

They are divided into three distinct groups : the Lesser 
Antilles, the Greater Antilles, and the Bahama Islands. 
We have learned about the Bahamas in the preceding 
chapter. The islands composing the first-named divi- 
sion form the most southerly of these groups. They 
are arranged in the form of a crescent, with the convex 
side facing the east. They are divided into the Wind- 
ward Islands and the Leeward Islands, the former 
terminating on the north with the Virgin Islands. 
The Greater Antilles comprise the four largest and 
finest islands in the archipelago, — Cuba, Haiti, Porto 
Rico, and Jamaica, — with the small islands adjacent. 
The Bahama Islands form the most northern portion 



188 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



of the system, and are the most numerous. The whole 
area of the archipelago does not exceed ninety-five 
thousand square miles. 

The Antilles are generally considered to be part of a 
mountain range which at one time connected North 
and South America. Some of the Lesser Antilles are 
flat, but generally the islands of the West Indies are 
bold, with a single mountain or group of mountains 
near the center, sloping on all sides to the sea. Vol- 
canic action is confined to the smaller islands. The 
most considerable eruptions of modern times (1812) 
have been those of St. Vincent ; but more remotely 
San Domingo and Jamaica were the scenes of some of 
the most tremendous earthquakes on record. 

The climate in the Antilles is extremely hot ; but 
the length of the nights, the sea breezes, and the eleva- 
tion of the land tend to modify the influence of the sun. 
Violent hurricanes occur frequently, generally between 
June and October. 

On account of their rich and varied products, the 
West Indies hold an important place in the commercial 
world. The principal exports are coffee and sugar, both 
of which have been introduced there by man. The first 
West India sugar was produced in Haiti. In the 
early part of the sixteenth century the Spaniards had 
sugar presses in operation. Near the latter end of the 
same century, coffee was introduced from Ceylon and 
the Isle of Bourbon. Tobacco of a superior quality is 
also exported in large quantities. 

At the time of their discovery, the more southern 
islands were occupied by a fierce, warlike tribe of 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



189 




190 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



Indians called Caribs : the northern ones were inhabited 
by a more gentle race. With the exception of a few 
hundreds in Trinidad, both tribes are now extinct. 

Cuba is the largest and most westerly of the West 
Indies, and lies at the entrance to the Gulf of Mexico. 
It is nearly eight hundred miles long and from twenty- 
seven to ninety miles broad, with an area of about 
forty-six thousand square miles, including its coast 
islands. It belongs to Spain, and is the most important 
of her American possessions. 

Cuba was discovered by Columbus during his first 
voyage. On October 28, 1492, he landed on its north 
coast. Several attempts to bestow a Spanish name on 
the island have been made, but it has always returned 
to the original Indian name of Cuba. 

The surface attains its greatest height on the south- 
eastern coast, rising in some places to an altitude of 
eight thousand feet. Another mountain ridge runs 
through the central part of the island. A rugged, 
hilly district lies on the southwestern coast. The 
remaining part of the country is undulating, and con- 
sists of well-watered plains covered with luxuriant for- 
ests or fertile plantations. There are a few extensive 
tracts of marsh land, particularly on the southern coast. 
The shores are generally low and are lined with danger- 
ous reefs and shallows, but in many places there are 
deep and excellent harbors. 

The rivers in Cuba flow north and south ; they are all 
short, the longest not having a course of more than 
seventy miles. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 191 



Cuba is a warm country, the average yearly tempera- 
ture at the extreme northern point being 77°, and at 
the southern, 80°. The year is divided into two seasons, 
— a hot and wet season, lasting from May to October, 
and a cool and dry one. 

There are vast forests of hard wood, such as mahog- 
any, cedar, ebony, and rosewood, suitable for manufac- 
tures, shipbuilding, and cabinet work. The orange, 
the wild lime, the palm, and many other tropical fruit 
trees are to be found here. The cocoanut tree be- 
longs to the palm family, and displays its fruit beauti- 
fully in clusters at the top. The cocoanut is eaten at 
an earlier stage of its growth in Cuba than by people 
at the north. 

Another tree which holds the attention of the for- 
eigner is the ceiba, or silk cotton, tree. Nearly every 
estate has one, on some favorable spot, as an ornament. 
It is good neither as timber nor fuel, and the cotton it 
yields is very scanty in amount. There is one on the 
Santa Ana Estate which towers to the height of a 
hundred feet, and for sixty-five feet is a smooth cylinder 
without knot or limb. Six feet from the ground the 
circumference of the trunk is twenty-seven and a half 
feet, and near the base, where it spreads itself in the 
direction of its principal roots, the trunk measures 
forty-six and a half feet. Were nothing to be seen but 
this smooth, white shaft, it would still be an object of 
beauty ; but, at the height mentioned above, it stretches 
forth its branches and forms a top worthy, in beauty 
and grandeur, of the trunk below. By actual measure- 
ment its diameter has been found to be one hundred 



192 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



and sixty-five feet. From these widely extended limbs, 
vines, which grow on them, rnn downward to the 
ground, where they lie like coils of rope. When one 
of these vines is cut, it yields a sweet, milky juice, 
which proves a delightful beverage. 

The plantain is one of the most useful plants grow- 
ing in Cuba. It constitutes about three fourths of the 
subsistence of the black population of the island, and is 
also used to a great extent by the whites. It will grow 
in almost any kind of soil. 

Cuba is divided into six provinces, each having a 
capital of the same name. These provinces are sub- 
divided into districts, each presided over by a mayor, 
having under him local judges. The island sends as 
representatives to the Spanish Cortes sixteen senators 
and thirty deputies. The chief executive is the Gov- 
ernor General, appointed by the Crown of Spain for a 
term of three to five years, at an annual salary of 
$50,000. He is both civil and military commander. 
All state officers, from the highest to the lowest, are 
Spaniards and come directly from Spain. 

The population of Cuba is composed of coolies, 
negroes, Spaniards, and Creoles, or native descendants 
of the French and Spanish. The two last-mentioned 
classes dislike each other heartily. The reason for this 
is found in their abnormal political relations. Nearly 
all of the thousand Spaniards who go to Cuba are 
government officials, employe's, and soldiers, whose 
business seems to be to make all they can for the 
mother country, and, in the meantime, to grow rich 
themselves. As a rule, after the Spaniard has accom- 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 193 



plislied these objects, he goes home. The Cuban stands 
no chance except in the industrial or commercial line. 
There is no opportunity for him in the liberal profes- 
sions or in the public service. He cannot take any part 
in public affairs. He cannot worship as he pleases. 
He has few rights worth mentioning, and he is griev- 
ously taxed. He cannot engage in any sort of business 
without buying official permission. 

There have been six considerable uprisings against 
Spain since 1829, one of which lasted for ten years. 
The present revolution began in February, 1895, and 
has extended throughout the island. General Weyler, 
commander in chief of the Spanish forces, is carrying 
on a savage sort of warfare, which seems to have for 
its object the total extermination of the Cubans. 

The Cubans are making a valiant stand for right and 
freedom. While sustaining some great losses, they 
have achieved some wonderful victories. They are 
righting for a principle, and they stand side by side, as 
men only can when their purpose is honorable and their 
cause justifiable. 

Havana is the capital of Cuba and the most impor- 
tant city on the island. Its harbor is the beautiful Bay 
of Havana, which nowhere exceeds a mile and a half in 
width. It is one of the finest harbors in the world, 
being deep enough for the largest vessels, and capacious 
enough to accommodate a thousand ships of war. The 
entrance to the bay is by a channel half a mile long, 
and so narrow that only a single vessel can pass at a 
time. This channel is fortified throughout its whole 
length ; and its mouth, about a quarter of a mile wide, 



194 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 195 



is guarded by two strong castles, the Punta on the west 
and the Morro on the east. The far-famed Morro does 
not suggest the idea of a castle so much as that of a 
palace, so delicate is its beauty. Its walls are of a 
light golden brown and it is built upon a ridge of rock 
curiously worn and seamed by the action of the water. 

After the firing of the sunset gun, no vessel may pass 
the Morro, but must turn aside and anchor outside the 
harbor for the night. But the bay is fatal as well as 
fair. Except when stirred by the north wind, its 
waters lie perfectly quiet and it becomes almost like a 
stagnant pool. This gives rise to fevers, which every 
year carry off many strong and healthy seamen. 

The streets of Havana, though regularly laid out, are 
narrow and poorly paved. The houses are generally 
built close upon them, and awnings are frequently 
stretched across the entire street. It is barely possible 
for two vehicles to pass abreast, and blockades are 
common. 

The walls of the houses are often two or three feet 
in thickness, are built of an irregular mixture of stones 
and mortar, and are painted. The colors employed are 
dazzling in their brilliancy and variety. One house 
has walls of light green with pink trimmings. Its 
neighbor may be blue with salmon trimmings. Gray 
and orange, lilac and yellow, or an}^ conceivable combi- 
nation of colors, may be seen; and this seems in keep- 
ing with the tropical surroundings, which suggest and 
almost demand color. 

The private houses are usually but one story high ; 
this, however, is generally twenty feet. The roofs are 



196 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



commonly tiled, sometimes shingled, and some of the 
more ancient are thatched with palm leaves. You 
enter from the street into a large square room, part 
of which accommodates the volante, or two-wheeled 
carriage commonly used in Cuba, the remaining por- 
tion serving as an entry to the rest of the house. The 
parlor also fronts on the street. It has two monstrous 
windows, very wide, and fifteen feet from the top to 
the bottom. There is no glass in the windows, an iron 
or a wooden grating taking its place. A heavy wooden 
shutter, containing a single pane of glass, is placed on 
the inside for use on rainy days and at night. As 
these windows reach almost to the floor, everything 
within is open to inspection from the street. 

The door which opens into this room is opposite one 
of the windows, and is large enough to accommodate the 
passage of an ordinary load of hay. These immense 
openings appear odd to strangers, but they enable the 
occupants of the houses to obtain a fine current of air. 
Through this door you pass into a court open to the 
sky, at the right and left of which are sleeping rooms, 
and in front of which is the kitchen. The floors are 
often made of brightly colored tiles, but those made of 
plaster are also common ; and, though cool, they neces- 
sarily supply a sufficient amount of lime dust to keep 
the furniture well covered. 

A strange custom is observed in the parlors of all 
the houses. Rows of chairs, four or five in each line, are 
placed facing each other and running at right angles 
with the street ; and upon these the members of the 
family and their company are always seated in the 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 197 



evening. As there are no curtains, and as screens are 
seldom interposed, passers-by may look in as they walk, 
and see what each lady wears, and who her callers are. 

The volante (which has been superseded to some ex- 
tent in the larger cities by carriages of modern style) is 
worthy of a description. It consists of an enormous 
pair of wheels, not less than six feet in diameter, with an 
axle of corresponding size, to which is fastened a pair of 
long curved shafts, eight yards in length. Forward of 
the wheels and between the shafts is suspended, by 
means of leathern straps, a phaeton-shaped body, the top 
and dashboard of which nearly meet. Into the shafts, 
three or four feet from the dashboard, a single horse is 
harnessed. There is a great deal of leather and plate 
about his harness, and on his back is placed a heavy 
saddle, which enables him to support the cumbrous 
vehicle that he is expected to draw. To a whippletree 
at the left side, a second horse is fastened by a pair 
of traces long enough to allow him to keep about half 
his length ahead of the other horse. On him is 
mounted a negro with a brightly colored jacket, deco- 
rated hat, long boots, large silver-plated spurs, and a 
heavy leathern whip. He leads the other horse by 
a short rein, and by dint of shouting at him, cracking 
his whip, and employing less gentle means, he keeps 
him going at a brisk pace. It often happens that there 
is but one horse. In that case he serves as carriage 
and as saddle horse at the same time. 

Ordinarily the volante has but one seat, which may be 
occupied by either one person or two persons. It is much 
used by both gentlemen and ladies. No woman, except 



198 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 





AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 199 



a negress, ever walks in public in Havana. When the 
ladies wish to go out to do their shopping, and in the 
evening, they always go in a volante. They do not 
alight and enter the shop, but the obliging clerk carries 
his goods outdoors for inspection. 

The more common method of shopping, however, is 
to have the goods sent home. No matter how trivial 
or how expensive the article desired, the mistress calls 
a negress and gives to her a writing, setting forth 
the nature, quality, and quantity of the article she 
needs. The negress departs, and speedily returns with 
a large assortment of the goods required. Usually she 
carries the bundle of goods on her head. These are 
taken to the lady's room, where, with the assistance of 
the children, several servants, and all the unemployed 
occupants of the house, they are examined and the 
selection made. Time is never taken into account, and 
usually the obliging servant trots back and forth sev- 
eral times before the bargain is concluded. The amount 
and value of goods thus intrusted to servants is often 
very surprising. 

There are several places of interest in Havana which 
one should not fail to visit. The public parks and 
promenades are said to surpass those of most cities in 
the Old World. One of these is the governor's square, 
called the Plaza de Armas. It is handsomely laid 
out with walks and ornamented with a few palm and 
cocoa trees. The inclosure is surrounded by a thick 
row of very old banyan trees, whose dark glossy foliage 
makes the densest shade to be found in all Cuba. On 
the south side of the square stands the palace of the 



200 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



Spanish Governor General. It is built of yellowish 
stone and is in the form of a hollow square. It is 
two stories in height, and the upper one only is used as 
a residence by the Governor General. The upper floor 
projects far over the lower one and is supported by a 
row of stone pillars, making a pleasing colonnade along 
the front. The lower floor is devoted to numerous 
public offices. An arched way leads into the court, 
upon which open the windows of the interior. 

On the north side of the square is a beautiful arch of 
marble which leads to the barracks. A little further 
east is a small but elegant chapel, recently built to com- 
memorate the first mass celebrated on the island by 
Columbus. It has a front inclosure and a beautiful 
gateway, but the effect of the latter is impaired by 
contrast with that of the more towering arch which 
leads up to the barracks. 

The next point of interest is the cathedral, in which 
He the remains of the great Genoese, Christopher 
Columbus. It is a plain old-fashioned building on the 
outside, with a tower at each angle of the front, but 
inside it is sumptuous. The floor is of variegated 
marble, and the walls are beautifully frescoed. There 
are no seats nor screens. Delicate masonry of variously 
colored stone is everywhere to be seen, while tall pillars 
lend a majesty to the whole. The altar is made of por- 
phyry, and a little to the left is a white tablet, showing 
where the remains of Columbus rest, inurned in the 
chancel wall. 

The great prison of Cuba is a large building of yellow 
stone, standing near the fort of the Punta. It is one 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 201 



of the striking objects as you enter the harbor. It 
looks more like a palace than a jail on the outside, but 
inside it is full of all uncleanness. It has none of the 
modern improvements of English and American prisons. 

The general elementary education of the people of 
Cuba is in a low condition. The people in the country 
do not live near enough together to admit of the suc- 
cessful operation of public schools, though free schools 
were established in 1822, and attendance on them was 
made obligatory in 1880. The richer classes of people 
send their children to Havana or out of the country to 
be educated. 

There was once a large number of coolies in Cuba. 
These were natives of China, and were brought to Cuba 
by men regularly engaged in the business. The im- 
porter received four hundred dollars a head from the 
purchaser, who might then enforce from each coolie 
eight years of labor, for which he bound himself to pay 
four dollars a month to the coolie. They were more 
intelligent than the negroes and were put to higher 
labor. They worked under the eye of a taskmaster, 
but they would not submit to the indignity of being 
whipped. If one of them was flogged, somebody usu- 
ally had to die for it, either the coolie himself, the 
perpetrator of the indignity, or some one else, accord- 
ing to their strange ideas of vicarious punishment. 
Yet their labor was considered so valuable that there 
was no difficulty in disposing of all who were brought. 
Of late coolies have not been imported, and their num- 
bers have become very few on the island. In 1886, 
slavery was absolutely abolished in Cuba. 



202 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



The great sugar estates of Cuba lie in the " upper 
district," the region of the famous "red earth." Many 
of these properties yield princely revenues, in times of 
peace, but on account of the prolonged insurrection of 
1895-97, and the prevailing state of war throughout 
the island, the sugar crop has fallen to a very low 
figure. The plantations are all worked by gangs of 
negroes. Each large plantation is a village within itself, 
containing church, dwellings, hospital, workshops, store- 
houses, and waterworks. 

The owner of the estate usually lives in a mansion 
not far removed from the sugarhouse, the avenue lead- 
ing up to which is generally shaded by rows of stately 
palms or orange trees. 

The negro quarter is a quadrangular structure, look- 
ing like a high wall, with no exterior opening other 
than a massive archway closed by an iron gate. The 
mayoral who carries the key admits us into a large 
court covered with a meager growth of coarse grass. 

Near the center is a stone fireplace and a large boiler, 
where the cooking is done for the entire tenantry. 
Around the inside of the wall is a hollow square of 
two story dwellings, the second floor being reached by 
means of an outside staircase. Each room serves as a 
home to a limited family. A bed of rude plank with 
a blanket on it, a stool or two, several pots and pans, 
three or four coarse garments hanging on the wall, — 
that is all. Surely the negro's life differs little from 
that of the beast of the field. During the daytime the 
quarters are deserted, the adults being at work and the 
children being cared for elsewhere. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 203 



Next comes the hospital. Its exterior is similar to 
that of the negro quarters. On entering the court 
forty or fifty children may be seen at play in very scant 
attire. One side of the court is occupied by the nurs- 
ery, where all the babes of the plantation are gathered 
and attended to by girls eight years old and upward. 
Standing near the hospital is a little chapel, where 
religious services are held occasionally by the priests 
of the neighboring village. 

The sugarhouse is near at hand. It is a vast build- 
ing, from one hundred and eighty to two hundred feet 
in length, and about half as broad. It is supported on 
stone pillars and is pierced by a tall chimney. In this 
building the sugar making goes on without cessation 
during the grinding season. 

The cane, fresh from the fields, is brought to one end 
of the building, where it is passed through three heavy 
horizontal rollers. From these it emerges crushed and 
nearly dry, and is carried off to be dried perfectly, and 
afterward used as fuel for the furnaces. 

The juice falls into a receiver below the rollers. 
After being boiled and skimmed in three successive 
boilers, it is poured into large, open, shallow vats and 
left to cool. After this, it is shoveled into barrels with 
pierced heads. These barrels are then conveyed to a 
room in which the floor is composed of narrow strips 
of plank with cracks between. The barrels are placed 
with the pierced ends downward and the drainage falls 
into an immense copper tank below, and constitutes the 
molasses of commerce. The sugar left in the barrels 
forms the larger part of our imported sugar, the refin- 



204 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



ing being a separate business done for the most part in 
the United States. 

But the most delightful place of all to visit in Cuba 
is the coffee plantation. The coffee plant needs to 
grow in the shade. Therefore the owner of an estate 
upon which he designs to raise coffee, first plants it 
with the fruit or shade trees which he prefers, and it 
becomes a vast grove of cocoa, mango, or cedar. These 
groves are divided into sections by shady, winding 
paths and into squares by broad avenues of palms. 
There are also narrower alleys of orange, mango, or 
other tropical trees. Interspersed everywhere are 
flowering shrubs and vines, — the oleander, lemon, lime, 
and hundreds of others. The cactus family is also 
largely represented, and of this the night-blooming 
cereus is the most beautiful. Humming birds, butter- 
flies, and countless insects flit everywhere. 

The Cubans call a coffee plantation " Paradise " ; 
and a lovelier, more peaceful abode it would be difficult 
to find. The coffee plant is an evergreen shrub, grow- 
ing to the height of sixteen feet or more ; but it is kept 
pruned down to five or six feet, for convenience in 
picking. It has snowy, fragrant blossoms and a round 
fruit like a cherry, of changeful hues of green, white, 
yellow, and red. 

The coffee berries ripen mostly from August to 
December. The berry is then red and about as large 
as a cherry. The coffee of commerce is the seed of 
this fruit, and two are contained in each, having their 
flat surfaces together. The ripe berries are picked 
carefully by hand and spread on large wooden frames 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



205 




206 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



called driers. They are exposed to the sun by day and 
protected from the dew at night for about three weeks. 

They are then cracked open by means of a wooden 
wheel moving in a circular trough which is kept filled 
with the dried fruit. Then the}'" are passed through a 
fanning mill, which clears them of the dried pulp and 
also separates the larger from the smaller grains, which, 
with the . dirt, fall through into a receiver and are 
picked out afterwards by the negroes, who spread 
them on long tables for the purpose. The coffee is 
then put into bags, and is ready for market. 

Another beautiful sight is an orange grove in the 
fruit season. Acres of trees with ripe oranges, some- 
times with blossoms and oranges on the same branch, 
give a luscious appearance, while the air is full of rich 
fragrance. The tobacco fields are not so picturesque, 
and the plants take away the fertility of the soil. 
The use of guano fertilizers has also caused the 
tobacco to deteriorate, except in certain localities. 

Santiago de Cuba, with a population of 70,000, is the 
capital of the eastern department, and has a fine har- 
bor. It was for several years the capital of the island. 
Cienf uegos, a seaport on the southern coast, has a popu- 
lation of over 40,000. 

Near Matanzas, there is a great variety of scenery, 
and the famed Umori Valley, between high cliffs, forms 
a most delightful region. Large bamboo groves stretch 
along the banks of streams ; the uplands, with banana 
fields, orange orchards, and luxuriant foliage, make a 
beautiful picture, with the blue sea stretching away off 
to the dim horizon. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 207 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

HAITI. 

Haiti is a rich and beautiful island fifty-three miles 
southeast of Cuba. It is irregular in form, being 
deeply indented with bays and inlets. The largest of 
these is the Samana Bay on the eastern coast, the 
distance between whose extreme capes is seventeen 
miles. It has an average breadth of twelve miles, and 
is fifty miles long. The channel by which it is entered 
is narrow and difficult, but the harbor is a safe and 
commodious one. 

The length of the island from east to west is four 
hundred miles ; its greatest breadth is one hundred 
and fifty miles. Including its coast islands it is about 
as large as Scotland with its adjacent islands. 

It is intersected from east to west by three chains of 
mountains, more or less connected with each other by 
offsets. Extensive plains and savannas lie between 
them. The loftiest peak of these mountains is a little 
more than seven thousand feet high. They are richly 
and heavily timbered, and most of them are understood 
to be susceptible of cultivation almost to their tops. 

All the streams of Haiti of any importance originate 
in these mountains, and flow either east, west, or south. 
No river of any consequence flows north. Few coun- 
tries are as well watered as Haiti, for what the rivers 
lack in size they make up in number. 

Few countries have greater mineral wealth than 
Haiti. Gold, silver, copper, jasper, marble, jet, and 



208 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



agate are among the most abundant, and are found in 
and about the mountain ranges. Rock salt, sulphur, 
and saltpeter may be procured with but little labor. 
The soil is of every color and variety. In one place 
we find a rich vegetable mold ; in another, a mixture 
of this with pebbles or sand ; and in still another, a 




CUTTING SUGAR CANE, HAITI, W. I. 

light spongy loam. The color of the soil also varies ; 
in some places it is red, in others of a bluish tint or a 
lava color, in others yellow, though still retaining its 
productive qualities ; but generally it is black and 
from six inches to ten feet in depth. 

It is exceedingly productive, surpassing anything 
found elsewhere in the West Indies. Sugar cane 
grows the year round so thick and fast, that by the 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 209 



time the laborer has cut over a ten-acre field, it is 
ready to cut again where he began. In truth, the stalk, 
though never reaching the height of Jack's renowned 
bean stalk, actually measures from eighteen to twenty- 
four feet. Stalks having a diameter of five inches have 
occasionally been found. Once planted, no further care 
is required until the time for cutting, and as it sprouts 
again as soon as cut, no replanting is necessary oftener 
than once in ten years. 

Corn is cultivated as easily. A hole is made in the 
ground, and into this the grains are dropped. With no 
further care, the stalks grow to the height of from 
eight to fourteen feet, and bear from three to five ears 
each. All other crops grow with equal rapidity and 
strength. It is said that in some places the melon, the 
pumpkin, and the squash ripen in six weeks from the 
seed. Ginger is produced in great abundance. Indigo 
grows spontaneously, and yields two crops a year. 
Oranges, citrons, bananas, plantains, pineapples, and 
other tropical fruits are not excelled — perhaps not 
equaled — in any other country in the world. 

Haiti was discovered by Columbus on his second 
voyage to America. It was inhabited at the time by 
a peaceful tribe of Indians, who treated Columbus and 
his followers with great kindness. Later they revealed 
to the Spaniards the rich gold fields of San Domingo. 
The Spaniards, with base ingratitude, enslaved the In- 
dians and compelled them to work in the mines, and in 
about fifty years the tribe was entirely exterminated. 
This remorseless cruelty to the Indians is a foul blot on 
Spanish rule in the West Indies. 



210 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



The extirpation of the Indians was the ruin of their 
destroyers. To replace them, negroes were imported, 
and Haiti became the seat of the first negro slavery in 
America. But in three centuries, in spite of a great 
expenditure of money and the sacrifice of soldiers, 
sailors, and planters, the Spaniards were entirely van- 
quished by their slaves. 

In 1697 the western part of the island was ceded to 
France, and, a hundred years later, the eastern part also. 
In the latter part of the eighteenth century a war of 
races began, resulting in the supremacy of the blacks. 
The negroes were then emancipated by the French, 
and have been free ever since. But they desired po- 
litical liberty as well, and in 1801 the whole island 
was declared independent, with the famous Toussaint 
L'Ouverture as President for life. 

Napoleon, wishing to reduce the colony to subjec- 
tion, sent troops to Haiti, and the negroes were forced 
to retire to the mountains. Toussaint was taken cap- 
tive and carried to France. On reaching that country 
he was hurried into Normandy, where, in a dismal, damp 
cell, without the presence of a single friend, he expired 
in 1803. Thus perished, without trial or even examina- 
tion, a grand man, who, though the leader of his own 
race, had shown abundant mercy to the whites in a 
country where their enormities had provoked hatred. 

Haiti was not fortunate in the rulers who succeeded 
this noted man. The negro who followed him in com- 
mand had himself proclaimed Emperor, but so cruel and 
tyrannical was his rule that in five years he was as- 
sassinated. Several rival chiefs then contended for 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 211 



leadership. The result was the crowning of a certain 
Christophe, under the title of Henry I. After display- 
ing all the cruelty and savagery of the worst potentate 
of Africa, he committed suicide in 1820. 

Sixteen years previous to this time, all the remaining 
whites had been massacred or driven from the country. 
The blacks took possession of their vast estates, and 
their leaders built for themselves beautiful dwellings 
and palaces. 

The ruins of one of these palaces remain to this day, 
forming one of the chief attractions of Cap Haitien 
on the northern coast. It was a palace erected at the 
command of Christophe ; it stood on the brow of a hill, 
in a long, beautiful valley, completely surrounded by 
mountains ; it crowned the knoll with broad terraces 
and esplanades, and contained suites of rooms grand 
enough to satisfy the most extravagant taste. There 
was a throne room where the king held his recep- 
tions, and a chapel where he and his family went 
through forms of worship. From the terraces, beau- 
tiful views were obtained. Rivulets, whose flow was 
broken by numerous cascades, came hurrying down the 
mountain sides. There was no end to the fruits and 
flowers produced in the royal gardens. But the palace 
was long since ruined by earthquakes, and the king 
and his nobility are no more. 

The modern Haitian is still fond of display, and 
spends most of his money for "regimentals," so as to 
make as fine an appearance as possible before his hum- 
bler neighbors. 

The island is at present divided into two rival 



212 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



republics, — Haiti, including the western third with 
Port-au-Prince as its capital city, and San Domingo, 
comprising the remaining portion, the capital of which 
bears the same name. The Haitians in some parts of 
the island are generally regarded as very low in the 
scale of civilization. 

" It is a great mistake, however," says a recent 
writer, " to think that the Haitians as a whole are a 
barbarous, uncivilized nation. The trouble in Haiti is 
largely geographical: in the north, the mulatto element 
prevails ; in the south, the blacks are in the majority. 
The Haitians, as a nation, are an intellectual people, 
except in the interior mountain fastnesses, where igno- 
rance and superstition prevail. It would be as unfair 
to judge the United States by the actions of the Sioux 
Indians as to class the Haitians of the coast with those 
in the mountain fastnesses. Around the ports you will 
find a great deal of refinement and education, and much 
of the chivalry of the French nation. The newspapers 
that caricature the Haitians as a people are simply 
doing so through ignorance." 

Haiti, under the administration of President Hyppo- 
lite since 1890, has shown marked progress both in her 
internal affairs and her relations with the civilized 
world. 

The inhabitants of the other part of the island, San 
Domingo, are more enlightened than those of Haiti ; 
and yet they seem utterly unable to appreciate the 
blessings of their island home. At one time they were 
united with the republic of Haiti ; but they had so 
much trouble that they w~ere compelled to separate 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 213 



again ; yet they are always hankering for union with a 
stronger state. 

Columbus thought Haiti the most beautiful place on 
earth. It is to be hoped that the time will come when 
it will be more accessible to civilized people. 

The legal rights of the white race in Haiti are very 
few. They cannot possess real estate ; they cannot 
hold mortgages for a longer time than nine years ; 
they cannot become citizens. Consequently they can- 
not vote nor hold political positions. They can be 
wholesale merchants, artists, mechanics, professors, 
teachers, clerks, engineers, and the lessees of estates ; 
but the retail trade, the bar, the bench, military honors, 
and civil distinctions are not open to their attainment. 
In social life and in the legal callings for which they 
are qualified, however, they are treated with due re- 
gard and courtesy. " Exemplary conduct on their part 
always enables them to overcome the social disadvantages 
attaching to their unfortunate color ! " 



CHAPTER XIX. 
JAMAICA. 

Jamaica belongs to Great Britain, and is its princi- 
pal possession in the West Indies. It lies ninety miles 
south of Cuba, and is about as large as Connecticut. 
Its coast line is five hundred miles long, and is in- 
dented with a great number of excellent harbors, of 



214 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 215 



which Kingston is the most important. This harbor is 
a landlocked basin, available for the largest ships, and 
inclosed on the south by a long tongue of land, at the 
extremity of which is Port Royal. The entrance and 
the harbor itself are defended by several large forts. 

Kingston, the capital city and chief seaport of 
Jamaica, is on the north side of the harbor. It stands 
on a gentle slope and is regularly laid out, its houses 
being mostly two stories in height and furnished with 
verandas. It is inclosed on the north by a lofty ridge 
of mountains, the intermediate space being taken up 
with country residences and sugar estates. 

The public buildings of Kingston possess little archi- 
tectural interest. The Victoria Market and the public 
landing at the foot of King Street form a very tine 
market place. Here stands a statue of Rodney, the 
great English naval commander who at one time saved 
Jamaica from falling into the hands of the French. 

Markets in Kingston are open several hours every 
day, but there are two full market days a week. All 
provisions are brought from the country on the backs of 
donkeys, or in carts drawn by mules. The quality of 
the air is such that meat and fish may be carried long 
distances, notwithstanding the heat, without spoiling. 
All kinds of tropical fruits abound, and oranges of 
a flavor unknown in the north may be bought for ten 
cents a hundred. 

Ice never forms in Jamaica, but artificial ice may be 
obtained in the city for a cent a pound. Instead of 
being distributed from carts, the ice is wrapped in 
cocoanut trash and carried on the backs of donkeys. 



216 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



The general appearance of the country is extremely 
beautiful. On the north are gently rolling hills cov- 
ered with groves of a brilliant verdure, and separated 
from one another by vales which exhibit the most 
exquisite scenery. On the south are abrupt precipices 
and inaccessible cliffs, the general effect of which is 
heightened by the large number of streams which pour 
from every valley, and often precipitate themselves 
from the overhanging rocks into the ocean. 

The form of the coasts presents the outline of a 
turtle, the mountain ridges by which it is traversed in 
all directions representing the back. The principal 
chain is the Blue Mountains, running east and west 
and reaching in some places an elevation of eight thou- 
sand feet. The valleys are all narrow, not more than 
a twentieth part of the island being level ground. 

The soil is not so fertile as it is in some other of the 
West Indies ; but the usual tropical products are raised, 
sugar cane being the chief. Pimento, peculiar to 
Jamaica, is native, and furnishes our allspice. The 
rainy seasons are from May to August and from Octo- 
ber to November. 

Jamaica is divided into three counties, and subdi- 
vided into twenty-one parishes. The government is 
vested in a Governor and a Privy Council of twelve 
members, appointed by the Crown, and a Legislative 
Assembly of forty-five members, two elected by each 
parish and one member by each of the three principal 
towns. 

The quadrupeds, birds, and fishes are like those of 
Cuba and Hayti ; but there is a rat known as the Sir 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 217 



Charles Price rat, which is not found on the other 
islands. Sir Charles Price owned at one time an estate 
on the island, which was very much infested with native 
rats. With a great deal of trouble he imported a very 
large, strong species for the purpose of killing the 
others. The newcomers succeeded so well that in a 
short time the native rats on the estate were extermi- 
nated ; then they gave their attention to the cats and 
soon had the better of them. Now the species has in- 
creased so prodigiously that its members are a greater 
nuisance to the island than all the others put together. 

But by far the most interesting animal in Jamaica is 
a kind of crab which inhabits a shell like a snail's. Its 
shell is so small in proportion to its limbs that the way 
in which it contrives to fold the latter under instantly, 
upon the slightest alarm, is curious and interesting. 
These crabs inhabit the mountains, but regularly, once 
a year, they travel in large troops down to the seaside. 
They are seldom used as food except for soup. They 
grow as large as a man's fist. Occasionally one will be 
found alone ; but, as they generally form themselves 
into armies, and move in a straight line to the sea, the 
soldier crab found by himself may be looked upon as 
a deserter. 

The dwelling houses of Jamaica are more frequently 
two stories high than one, this always being the case 
in the lowlands, where the ground floor is liable to 
be damp. The upper story is used to live in, and 
the lower one is given up to storerooms, open cellars, 
and harness and carriage rooms. A veranda extends 
along the front, from which you descend into a drive- 



218 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



way overgrown with short turf and bordered with 
myrtle and orange trees. Every house has its flower 
garden, in which roses, violets, heliotrope, and numer- 
ous tropical plants are grown. 

A main hall extends from the front door through the 
middle of the house. Near the front it opens, right 
and left, into a dining room and a library. All the 
rooms are large, and those belonging to the more 
affluent classes are floored throughout with mahogany. 

Back of the house a thatched cottage of two stories, 
called a bungalow, is generally built, having the lower 
floor devoted to storerooms, closets, a bathroom, and 
sometimes a study, and the upper one to bedrooms. 

A Jamaica kitchen is a novelty in its way. Instead of 
a stove or range, there is a huge embankment of rough 
brick along one side of the room. On top of this are 
holes in which the fires are built. On the embankment 
stands a sort of large two-barred gridiron on legs two 
feet high. This holds the pots and pans. Sometimes 
a chimney ascends out of the open hole above the 
embankment, but not always. There is also a vast 
brick oven in the kitchen ; and when it is used a great 
fire of wood must be built under it. The pots and 
pans used for cooking are similar to ours ; but there is 
a kind of red bowl of earthenware, called by the African 
name, yabba, round and varying in diameter from three 
inches to three feet. It has handles on two sides, and, 
though usually wobbly on its base, is a great favorite 
with the black cook, by whom it is much used. 

The servants, all of whom except the housekeeper 
are usually colored people, are paid all the way from 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 219 




220 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



one dollar to two and a half dollars a week, and out of 
this they have to board themselves. Their fare consists 
almost wholly of yams, salt fish, and hot water sweet- 
ened with brown sugar ; so that their living costs them 
but little. The yam, when properly prepared, is de- 
licious. It is an ungainly root, one or two feet long 
and as thick as a man's arm. 

In common with the other West Indies, slavery was 
introduced into Jamaica at an early date, and continued 
until 1834. At present, negroes are in the majority; 
out of a population of six hundred thousand, only about 
twenty thousand are white people. 

There is no established church on the island ; but 
the Church of England, the Baptists, the Methodists, 
the Presbyterians, and the Roman Catholics embrace 
most of the church members. 

The negroes are growing more enterprising all the 
time, and cannot now be described as idle. They 
cultivate their gardens and fields with care, and pro- 
duce enough sugar, coffee, and rice to enable them to 
bu}^ a considerable number of imported articles. Ex- 
treme poverty is unknown among them, and they are a 
law-abiding and inoffensive community. 



CHAPTER XX. 
PORTO RICO. 



This island was discovered by Columbus on his 
second voyage to America in November, 1493. Leav- 
ing the Virgin Islands, he sailed along its southern 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 221 



shore, coasting in and out of its harbors fringed with 
tropical trees, and finally landed in a place which he 
called Aquadilla, a name signifying "the watering- 
place." Here he watered his ships, and here a large 
volume of water is still sent forth. 

Porto Rico is rectangular in form, being about ninety 
miles long and thirty-six broad. The interior, with the 
exception of a few extensive savannas, is one vast ex- 
panse of rounded hills, covered with such rich soil that 
they may be cultivated to their summits. 

A mountain chain traverses the island from east to 
west, but its highest point is less than four thousand 
feet above the level of the sea. Numerous caves are to 
be found here, and in these the Indians formerly lived. 
There are many rivers, both large and small, and hot 
springs are occasionally found. The country is well 
adapted to grazing purposes, and is famous for its fine 
cattle, horses, and sheep. 

The population numbers about eight hundred thou- 
sand, of whom fully half are white people. Porto Rico 
is one of the most thickly populated regions in the 
New World, having about two hundred and sixteen 
inhabitants to the square mile. Ponce, on the southern 
coast, is the largest town. It is near the center of the 
sugar district. 

San Juan, the capital, is situated on an island on the 
north coast, and is connected with the mainland by a 
bridge and a causeway. An excellent highroad leads 
through the center of the country to Ponce. But a 
line of railroad, which has been projected, will soon 
connect all the coast cities and send shorter lines out 



222 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



into the country. The capital is compactly built and, 
on the side farthest from the mainland, is terminated 
by a fortress. It is surrounded by a wall from fifty to 
one hundred feet high. The houses are all stone, 
with iron balconies, and are painted every color except 
white. There are no window sashes with glass, but 
the window openings are usually provided with shut- 
ters. The houses have no chimneys. 

Wooden houses are not allowed in the city proper, 
but may be built along the wharves and along a broad 
concrete walk, which skirts the outside of the city 
Avail and is lined with seats and adorned with rude 
statues. Between the walk and the wall is an orna- 
mental garden of flowers and trees. Through these 
may be obtained glimpses of the wall, cold and gray, 
from which project, at regular intervals, antique sentry 
boxes. 

When the gates fronting the sea are closed, there is 
but one way of entering the city, and that is through 
an arched entrance where a road leads out into the 
country. At first the way lies through an open pasture, 
and there it skirts the shore of the bay, where it is 
thickly bordered with cocoa palms. Here and there 
is a village full of shops and drinking booths, and 
much frequented by the city people on afternoons and 
Sundays. The road passes on through another broad, 
waste, and then the bridge is reached, the shore at this 
place being thickly bordered with mangroves. 

The streets and houses of San Juan are dirty, and 
crowded with a somewhat thriftless population. Yellow 
fever makes its yearly ravages, and foreigners prefer to 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



223 




224 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



live in the immediate suburbs, where there are many 
fruit and shade trees and where the air is pure. 

Porto Rico belongs to Spain, and is ruled by a Captain 
General, the same as Cuba. On account of the foreign 
soldiery and officials, a discontent, similar to that 
which exists in Cuba, is prevalent. The social life is 
thoroughly foreign and Spanish, and presents all the 
gentle breeding and true courtesy of Spanish noblemen 
of the Old World. 

The fort that guards the harbor is called the Morro, 
and is not unlike the one of the same name at Havana. 
Within its walls are a chapel, houses, and barracks, 
deep dungeons, covered ways, and ancient-looking 
guns. There are also a beacon light and a signal 
station. But by far the most interesting structure is 
a building occupied at present by the Royal Engineers. 
It is called the Casa Blanca, and was built as a resi- 
dence by Ponce de Leon, the discoverer of Florida. 

Toward the bay, the Casa Blanca is protected by an 
ancient wall backed by a garden of tropical plants, 
brought into prominence by a double row of cocoa 
palms. The garden and the windows which look out 
over the water command a fine view of the bay and the 
harbor. Immediately below is the gray old wall of the 
city, while beyond the water of the bay lies the palm- 
fringed shore of the mainland, with its never-ending 
rows of hills melting away into the distance. 

After the subjugation of Porto Rico, Ponce de 
Leon had leisure to listen to the wonderful stories told 
by his Indian servants about the mysterious island in 
the north that concealed in its deep forest the wonder- 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 225 



ful Fountain of Youth. And doubtless it was while 
sitting in this same ancient castle that he planned the 
voyage that has made his name famous. 

The market is situated on a hill near the ocean side 
of the city. The court is paved with great stones, and 
in it booths are erected containing various sorts of 
meat, vegetables, and country produce. An occasional 
parrot is to be seen, but by far the most common bird 
displayed for sale is the gamecock. Each one has the 
feathers shaven from his back and plucked from his 
head, neck, and tail. Here, as in Cuba, the pit is 
much frequented, and over these disgraceful fights 
much money is lost and won. 

It is remarkable that, though the soil is so fertile, 
there are scarcely any flowers on the island. When 
the Spaniards came to make a settlement, the aston- 
ished Indians saw, for the first time, the horse, the 
cow, and the sheep. As their largest animal was no 
larger than a raccoon, their surprise may be imagined. 
The horses especially excited their admiration ; but 
they shrank from them in fear. 

Porto Rico is rich in unique antiquities, one of which 
is both curious and common. It consists of a stone 
collar, in shape like a horse collar and elaborately 
carved. It is supposed to have been made for use after 
death. Each Indian, with no other tools than stone 
knives and chisels, spent the greater part of his life in 
carving out this peculiar collar. When he died, it was 
placed upon his breast in the grave, " to keep him in 
place forever, so that the devil could not take him 
away." 



226 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

TRINIDAD. 

Trinidad is the largest and the most southern of the 
Lesser Antilles, and belongs to the Windward Islands. 
It is square in shape, with long, projecting capes on 
each corner except the southeast. It is separated from 
South America by a shallow body of water called the 
Gulf of Paria. There are two entrances to this gulf, 
called respectively the Dragon's Mouth and the Ser- 
pent's Mouth. 

Columbus was the discoverer of Trinidad, and gave it 
that name because the first sight of land was of three 
mountain peaks. Sir Walter Raleigh afterward visited 
the island in search of gold. It is said he tarred his 
ship with pitch from its famous lake. 

The island belonged alternately to the Spanish and 
French, until the beginning of the present century, 
when it fell into the hands of the English. It then 
formed a Crown colony, the public affairs being admin- 
istered by a Governor, assisted by an Executive and 
a Legislative Council. The island of Tobago was 
annexed to Trinidad in 1889. The laws were a mix- 
ture of Spanish and English ; and neither coroners' 
inquests nor trial by jury were established. 

Approached from the north, Trinidad appears like 
an immense ridge of rocks. Its east and south shores 
are also rocky and high. But on the side next the 
Gulf of Paria it presents a series of hills, valleys, and 
plains, covered with a verdure that never decays. The 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 227 



mountain chains run from east to west, attaining a 
height of about three thousand feet. The plains are 
watered by numerous streams, which generally termi- 
nate toward the Gulf of Paria in extensive swamps. 

The cultivated land is a mere fringe around the edge 
of the forests. In the valleys are built the country 
houses of the merchants and the cabins of the black 
peasantry. The latter resemble great boxes very 
loosely nailed together, and are usually set up on 
stones a foot or more from the ground, so as to admit 
of a free circulation of air under the floor. 

There are in all about two hundred and thirty-eight 
thousand people in Trinidad, and twenty thousand in 
Tobago, of whom ten thousand are coolies, twenty-five 
thousand whites and mulattoes, and the rest negroes. 

On landing at the Port of Spain, as the capital city 
of the island is called, one finds a well-built, foreign- 
looking place, most of whose buildings are constructed 
of stone found in the neighborhood. The streets are 
long, wide, well paved, and densely shaded. Nearly 
every house has a garden containing coffee plants, 
palms, and other tropical trees. 

Strange as it may seem, there are no sanitary arrange- 
ments, and the city depends on the abundant rainfall 
and those natural scavengers, the crows, to keep things 
clean. Of these filthy but necessary birds, there are 
hundreds, and when they have gorged themselves with 
refuse, they perch upon the roofs of the houses. In 
this island, as in others, they are protected by law. 

Outside of the city is a park, where the better class 
of business people live. Their houses are built so as 



228 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



to admit all the wind there is, and to exclude the sun- 
shine. 

The residence of the Governor stands at the foot of 
a mountain in a fine situation. It was built recently, 
and no expense was spared to make it a handsome, 
commodious building. In one place on the lawn stands 




TRUNK OF A SILK COTTON TREE. 



an immense silk cotton tree, whose umbrella-shaped top 
measures about a hundred and fifty feet in diameter. 

Adjoining the Government House are the Botanical 
Gardens. Plants, which with us are familiar only 
in conservatories, are here expanded into mammoth 
giants ; and, besides these, there are scores of others 
which have not even a puny representative in colder 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 229 



climates. Palms of every known species, from the 
cabbage palm towering np into the sky, to the fan 
palm of the desert, grow in the greatest luxuriance. 
Many of the trees have flowers similar to those of the 
pea, and hang their seeds in pods. But the grandest 
among them all is the sacred tree of Burma. At a dis- 
tance it resembles the horse-chestnut in form, but in 
place of the white flowers it is covered with pendant 
bunches of crimson blossoms. 

Dispersed among these royal beauties are spice, 
orange, coffee, and cocoa trees, besides shrubs, vines, 
and plants of innumerable sorts. The prettiest of the 
spices are the nutmegs. They have a little glen all 
to themselves, and load the surrounding air with their 
fragrance. Only one other place beside Trinidad has 
nutmeg trees of so large a size. They grow here to the 
height of thirty or forty feet. Their leaves are a dark 
and brilliant green, resembling those of the orange, but 
extremely delicate and thin. The lowest branches 
reach to the ground and the whole tree forms a sort of 
bower, in which, during a tropical shower, one may find 
a safe retreat. Flies and moths seem drawn to the tree 
by the fragrance, and beautiful butterflies often hover 
around. One visitor to the garden saw a pair which 
for beauty surpassed any he had ever witnessed. 
They were of a dark blue, shot with green like the 
color of a peacock's neck, and as large as a bat. He 
asked a black boy to catch one for him ; but the boy 
promptly replied, " That sort no let catchee, massa." 

Countless vines and creepers are found in the garden. 
In one place stands a gigantic dead cedar completely 



230 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



covered with a fig vine. Years ago this parasite began 
to twine itself about the stem, choking out the natural 
life and spreading itself over every twig and limb, 
until at last the lifeless limbs were completely covered 
with a verdure not their own. 

At the farther end of the garden is the old Govern- 
ment House, made famous by the presence of Charles 
Kingsley as the guest of the Governor, Sir Arthur 
Gordon. The house is a long wooden building sur- 
rounded by verandas. It commands views of the park, 
through arches formed by tall bamboos, which shoot 
up into the air for nearly a hundred feet, where they 
meet forming frames for the landscape. Kingsley took 
especial pleasure in these bamboos, as he had never seen 
anything like them before. Visitors are still shown 
the room in which he used to write, and the long gal- 
lery where he was accustomed to walk up and down. 

The principal animals in the island are a species of 
small deer, opossums, porcupines, lizards, ant-bears, 
sloths, and monkeys in great variety. The latter class 
is very interesting. They invariably travel in the tops 
of the trees, and each company is led by the oldest of 
its number, who is exceedingly sly. They keep up a 
sort of grunting or barking while traveling, and while 
feeding make a strange, low, chattering sound. 

Between the dogs and the monkeys there is a mutual 
dislike, and the latter lose no opportunity for annoying 
the former. They approach a house, when they can 
see no one around, and, climbing into a safe position, 
sit and make faces at the dog, which becomes frantic 
with rage in his efforts to reach them. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 231 



The wonder of Trinidad is a lake, the like of which 
can be seen nowhere else in the world. We may well 
forego the pleasure of a trip to the picturesque Blue 
Basin for the purpose of seeing a lake in which the sky 
is never reflected. Running down from the Port of 
Spain, some thirty-six miles toward the south, we come 
to a peninsula whose flat top is somewhat higher than 
the lowlands on either side. As we near the shore, we 
see that the beach and the long slope beyond are black. 
We land, and after walking for a little more than a 
mile find ourselves standing on the verge of the Pitch 
Lake, which lies not in a depression but at the top of a 
rise. On two sides the ground slopes gently away, and 
on the other two it rises very slightly. A group of 
islands, some twenty yards wide, is scattered about the 
center of the lake, which is a mile and a half in circum- 
ference ; and though several attempts have been made 
to find out its depth, no bottom has yet been discovered. 

What a strange looking lake it is ! Some one has 
likened it to a black glacier, for the pitch has over- 
flowed and is still overflowing, but very slowly. We 
walk out upon this pitch, which at the sides is quite 
hard ; but after proceeding a short distance we are 
stopped by a channel of clear water. On looking 
around, we observe that the whole lake is intersected 
with channels similar to this one. 

Charles Kingsley has compared it to a " crowd of 
mushrooms of all shapes, from ten to fifty feet across, 
close together, side by side, their tops being kept at 
exactly the same level, their rounded rims being 
squeezed tight against each other." Now conceive 



232 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



water being poured over these so as to fill the open 
spaces. " Thus would each mushroom represent, tolera- 
bly well, one of the innumerable flat asphalt bosses, which 
seem to have sprung up, each from a separate center." 

Scattered all over the lake are occasional sticks of 
wood, five or six inches in diameter and several feet in 




CABBAGE PALMS, TRINIDAD. 

length. No one knows how to account for their pres- 
ence. They seem to come up from below, and on 
reaching the surface of the lake usually stand in an 
upright position and look like stumps of trees pro- 
truding through the pitch ; but their parvenu character 
is curiously betrayed by a ragged cap of pitch which 
invariably covers the top and hangs down like hounds' 
ears on either side. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 233 



The small islands, which are said to change their 
number and position, are covered with a growth of 
scrub, holly, and cocoa palm. Beyond them is that part 
of the lake where the pitch still oozes up in a liquid 
state. The old proverb, that one cannot touch pitch 
without being defiled, does not hold true here. It is so 
mixed with earthy matter that it may be molded into 
balls or sticks, leaving nothing but clean gray mud and 
water on the hands. It may be kneaded for an hour 
before the mud is sufficiently driven out of it to make 
it sticky. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

THE LESSEE ANTILLES. 

Barbados is the most eastern of the Caribbees, or 
Lesser Antilles. Bridgetown, its capital, is situated in 
the southwest corner of the island, near the thirteenth 
degree of north latitude. The island is twenty-one 
miles long, fifteen broad, and has an area of one hun- 
dred and sixty-six square miles. Navigation is rendered 
dangerous by the neighboring coral reefs. 

It has belonged to Great Britain since 1625. The 
local government consists of a Governor in chief, assisted 
by a Council. The Governor is invested with the chief 
civil and military authority. The Council is composed 
of twelve members, appointed by the sovereign. The 
House of Assembly consists of twenty-four delegates, 
elected annually, two for each parish. Churches and 



234 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



schools are numerous, as are also charitable and benevo- 
lent institutions. There are several literary and agri- 
cultural societies and a number of weekly newspapers. 

With the exception of Hong Kong and Malta, Bar- 
bados is said to be the most densely populated island in 
the world. The population is one hundred and eighty- 
seven thousand, which gives over one thousand indi- 
viduals to each square mile, or nearly twice that of 
England. 

Barbados is considered one of the healthiest islands 
in the West Indies. Its climate is especially adapted 
to make it one of the most agreeable and advantageous 
winter residences for invalids. There are but two 
seasons in the year, — the wet and the dry, or the hot 
and the cool. The former lasts from the beginning 
of June to the end of October ; the latter covers the 
remaining months. During the dry season the north- 
east trade wind blows steadily, and the climate is ex- 
tremely pleasant. 

The first glimpse of Barbados from the deck of a 
vessel is sure to be disappointing. The view of Bridge- 
town harbor consists for the most part of a low, flat 
shore, lined with warehouses, above which tower, here 
and there, a few scattered palm trees. Farther inland 
the surface is much diversified, presenting, on a small 
scale, a succession of hills and valleys, table-lands, 
cliffs, gorges, and ravines, some of the latter presenting 
perpendicular walls of one hundred and fifty feet. 

The productive soil of Barbados is of a reddish- 
brown color on the higher table-land ; in the lowlands 
it is black and somewhat reddish in places where it is 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



235 



shallow. The black mold is best suited to sugar raising; 
over forty thousand acres are planted in sugar cane. 
All the native woods have been cut down to make way 
for farming operations. 

Fruit trees flourish in abundance. The breadfruit 
tree, the bread nut, the lemon, the orange, mango, golden 
apple, and many others, overshadow the little huts that 




BREADFRUIT, BARBADOS. 



dot the steep slopes and perch upon jutting rocks, di- 
versifying the pervading greenness by their variously 
tinted foliage and many-colored fruits. The steep hill- 
sides, which are unfit for the growth of sugar cane, are 
usually occupied by the black people, who grow tiny 
patches of arrowroot and fruit to the great improve- 
ment of the landscape. 

Caves abound in Barbados, as in all other places of 



236 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



coral or limestone formation. The most remarkable 
one is called the "Animal Flower Cave." It has at- 
tained great celebrity, not from its size, but on account 
of its beautiful inhabitants, a species of zoophyte. It is 
situated at North Point, at the northern extremity of 
the island. For a considerable distance in this place 
the shore is precipitous, the cliffs descending at many 
points into deep water. These exposed to the fury of 
wind and wave are worn into deep caverns, one of which 
is the Animal Flower Cave. 

The entrance is in the face of a steep cliff forty feet 
high and is reached by crossing a ridge of rock called 
the "Saddle." The crossing must be made during the 
interval elapsing between the retreat of one wave and 
the approach of the next. On reaching the inside of 
the cave, the ground is found to slope upward and all 
danger is passed. 

The cave consists of several connected rooms. The 
most attractive chamber is called the " Carpet Room," 
on account of the soft and beautiful mosaic of marine 
algse with which it is covered. Near the center is a 
large circular basin, in the bottom of which is a huge 
stone covered by salt water of wonderful clearness. 

At first sight the visitor will probably see some 
stems, resembling those of aquatic plants, projecting 
from the stone and floating in the water. But if he 
keeps still, and leaves the water undisturbed, the bulb- 
ous end of a stem will suddenly flash open, displaying 
a lovely flower of a pale yellow color, resembling single 
marigolds with many petals. If an attempt is made to 
pluck a flower it closes instantly, its neighbors follow 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 237 



its example, the stem contracts, and the whole is with- 
drawn into the crevice of the rock, to await the restora- 
tion of quiet again. The seeming petals are but the 
arms or feelers of the animal, which suddenly contract 
and inclose those particles which come within their 
reach, and are suitable for the creature's food. Similar 
animals are found in considerable numbers on the reefs, 
but they lack the brilliant coloring of their brethren in 
the cave. 

St. Vincent, one of the British West Indies, is one 
hundred miles west of Barbados. It has an area 
of one hundred and thirty-two square miles, and a 
population of forty-one thousand. Kingstown, at the 
southwest extremity of the island, is the capital. In 
the northwest is a volcano, of which a tremendous 
eruption occurred in 1812. It has a height of three 
thousand feet ; its crater is three miles in circumference 
and five hundred feet deep. The climate of St. Vincent 
is humid but not unhealthy. The principal products 
are sugar, rum, molasses, arrowroot, and cotton. 

Another of the Lesser Antilles is called Curacao, and 
belongs to the Dutch. It has an area of two hundred 
and ten square miles and a population of 28,000. 

Martinique, one of the French West Indies, has sev- 
eral good harbors, the best of which is Port Royal on 
the southwest side. The principal town is St. Pierre 
on the northwest. The administration is under a Gov- 
ernor and a Privy Council aided by a General Council. 
The population numbers one hundred and ninety thou- 



238 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



sand. The Empress Josephine, first wife of Napoleon, 
was born in Martinique. 

There are six extinct volcanoes on the island. The 
loftiest summit is Mount Pelee, which rises to the height 
of 4450 feet. The mountain slopes are for the most 
part covered with primeval forests. Numerous rivulets 
flow from the heights. The fertile valleys produce 
sugar, coffee, cocoa, and cotton. 

Nevis, one of the Lesser Antilles, belongs to Great 
Britain, and has an area of fifty square miles. Long 
ago, in its better days, it was the " Bath and Saratoga 
of the Caribbees." At one time the population num- 
bered twenty thousand ; now it is less than twelve 
thousand. Landing at the wharf, and taking the left- 
hand road, you pass St. Paul's church and school. The 
road at the right passes a tiny square, the post office, 
and a hotel. About a third of a mile farther on, you 
reach a fine sulphur bath and the ruins of a superb 
stone building, erected in 1803 at a cost of c£40,000 and 
sold a few years ago for <£40. Nevis was the birth- 
place of a man whose name is known to every school 
boy in the United States, — Alexander Hamilton, the 
great orator, good soldier, and talented lawyer. 

St. Christopher or, as it is generally called, St. Kitts, 
and Nevis have an Executive and Legislative Council 
in common. Basse-Terre, the capital of St. Kitts, has a 
population of 7000. 

Antigua belongs to the Leeward Group of the West 
Indies, and is owned by Great Britain. It is about 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 239 



forty miles from Nevis. It has an area of one hundred 
and eight square miles, and a population, including the 
small neighboring islands of Barbuda and Redonda, of 
thirty-seven thousand. St. John is the chief town. 
Ships come to anchor about two miles from the city, 
since the harbor is barred by a coral reef only fifteen 
feet under water. Spacious leper and insane hospitals 
are located north of this harbor; but, aside from lep- 
rosy, Antigua is regarded as one of the healthiest 
islands in the West Indies. The finest building is a 
large English cathedral, rebuilt in 1845 at a cost of 
<£40,000. It stands on high ground back of the town. 
It is built with double walls, as a protection against 
earthquakes, and has two sightly towers. 

The island is of coral formation, comparatively low 
and undulating. The primeval forests disappeared long 
ago, but this low land contains petrified forests con- 
sisting of nearly every sort of tree now growing on the 
Caribbee Islands. Beautiful specimens of cedar, man- 
grove, palm, and many others may be obtained in the 
valley of petrifaction not far from St. John. The 
climate is remarkably dry. Sugar and molasses are 
the chief exports. 

Montserrat has an area of thirty-two square miles, 
and a population of twelve thousand. Plymouth is the 
capital. Much of its surface is mountainous and barren. 
The remainder is under excellent cultivation. Sugar 
and cotton are the chief products. Rum and molasses 
are also exported in considerable quantities. 

This island was discovered by Columbus in 1493. 



240 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



He named it Montserrat because of its fancied resem- 
blance to a mountain of that name in Spain. The 
white population of the island is small and is constantly 
decreasing. The inhabitants are chiefly negro-Irish. 
They nearly all have Irish names and speak a dialect 
of Irish, English, and negro, in which the Irish pre- 
dominates. The island belongs to Great Britain. 

Guadeloupe has an area of five hundred and eighty- 
three thousand square miles, and a population of one 
hundred and sixty-seven thousand. It belongs to 
France, and is one of her principal island colonies. It 
is separated by an arm of the sea into two distinct 
islands. The western portion is the larger, and forms 
Guadeloupe proper, or Basse-Terre ; it is of volcanic 
origin, and is traversed from north to south by a range 
of hills having a medium altitude of 2296 feet. The 
culminating points are an active volcano, La Souffriere, 
5108 feet high, and three extinct volcanoes. 

The smaller island, Grande-Terre, is flat, nowhere ris- 
ing higher than 115 feet above the sea. Both islands 
are watered by a number of small streams, running in 
deeply cut channels, which become dry in summer. 
The atmosphere is remarkably humid, and the climate 
hot and unhealthy. Hurricanes are frequent and very 
destructive. The mountainous parts are covered with 
fine forests. Mangroves and manchineel trees grow on 
the marshy coasts. The chief articles of export are 
sugar, coffee, dye and cabinet woods, rum, cotton, 
wool, annotto, hides, copper, and tobacco. 

Basse-Terre is the capital ; Pointe-a-Pitre, with 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 241 



seventeen thousand population, is the largest town, 
and has an excellent harbor. 

Dominica, a British island of the Leeward Group, 
has an area of two hundred and ninety-one thousand 
square miles, and a population of twenty-eight thou- 
sand. The language spoken is a mixture of English 
and French. 

On approaching Dominica from the sea, it presents a 
striking appearance. It is of volcanic origin, and the 
most rugged and elevated of the Lesser Antilles. 
The highest point reaches an altitude of 5314 feet. 
The island was named Dominica by Columbus because 
he discovered it on Sunday. It is said that when the 
Queen questioned him as to its general appearance, 
he, for an answer, crushed a piece of paper in his hand 
and threw it down upon the table. Nevertheless, the 
mountains are interspersed with beautiful and fertile 
valleys, through each of which flow one or more rivers. 

In former times this island was inhabited by Caribs, 
a warlike race of Indians. A few of their descendants 
are still to be found here and in St. Vincent. 

Roseau, the capital, has a beautiful location near the 
center of the western coast. The land slopes rapidly 
from the shore, and at but a short distance there are 
no soundings ; vessels anchor close to the rocks, or 
alongside jetties built upon piles. 

Palms and other tropical trees are to be seen every- 
where, softening, by their glossy leaves and strange 
fruits, the roughness of the prevailing architecture. 
The market occupies a square in the south end of the 



242 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



town, and on Saturdays it is the center of attraction. 
Then it is always filled with country people from 
near and far away, each of whom carries a tray of 
breadfruit or a bunch of plantains. Near the market 
is an old fort which seems " an attractive, innocent, 
sunny sort of place to spend one's time in ; but to the 
observer of this calm scene it is not easy to realize the 
desperate battles which have been fought for the pos- 
session of it, nor to picture the gallant lives that have 
been laid down under the walls of this crumbling 
castle. These cliffs had echoed the roar of Rodney's 
guns on the day which saved the British Empire, 
and the island on which we are gazing was England's 
Gettysburg." 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

CAPE VERB ISLANDS AND ST. HELENA. 

The Cape Verd Islands lie three hundred and twenty 
miles west of Cape Verd, on the west coast of Africa. 
They are ten in number, and have an area of nearly 
seventeen hundred square miles. The population num- 
bers one hundred and eleven thousand, and only one 
person out of every twenty is white. 

The surface of the islands is mountainous, some of 
the peaks attaining a considerable height. The volcano 
of Fogo is over nine thousand feet high. The soil is 
of many kinds, and is for the most part fertile. There 
are but few trees and little water, which lack gives 
rise to frequent distress. The climate is very hot. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 243 



The chief vegetables raised are maize, rice, and French 
beans. Coffee, which was introduced in the latter part 
of the eighteenth century, has proved a great success. 
The cotton shrub is native, and indigo grows wild. 
There are many tropical fruits. 

Cattle are extensively reared, and dried and salted 
provisions form a large part of the exports. Asses and 
mules are the only beasts of burden. Fowls are so 
abundant in most of the islands that they are sold for 
the merest trifle. Amber is found on all of the coasts, 
which are frequented by large numbers of turtles. 

The natives are a quiet, docile race, but extremely 
indolent, and their houses are very filthy. They are 
nearly all engaged in agriculture and the preparation 
of salt. There are only a few schools in the archipelago, 
and the religion is Roman Catholic. 

St. Helena lies in the South Atlantic Ocean, twelve 
hundred miles west of the west coast of South Africa 
and eighteen hundred miles from the east coast of Brazil. 
Being in the former direct line of the great ocean thor- 
oughfare from Europe to the East, it became a most im- 
portant halting station for vessels making that long voy- 
age. It has an area of nearly forty-seven square miles. 

When seen from a distance, it has the appearance 
of a lofty, pyramidal mass of dark gray color, rising 
abruptly from the water and presenting no sign of 
vegetation. On nearer approach, the precipitous and 
almost inaccessible coasts become still more striking, 
particularly on the north, where they rise almost per- 
pendicularly to the height of from six hundred to 



244 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 245 



twelve hundred feet. A number of openings in these 
precipices form the mouths of narrow valleys leading 
gradually to a central plateau, and on the shore of each, 
where a landing might be effected, the British govern- 
ment has erected small forts or other military works 
for the purpose of making the island a secure prison. 

Jamestown, the residence of its principal authorities, 
is situated in one of these ravines on the northwest 
coast. It has an excellent harbor of twelve fathoms 
of water and is defended by strong batteries. It con- 
tains the governor's residence, called " The Castle," 
three churches, six schools, and several very fine build- 
ings, beside twenty-nine shops of fair size. There is a 
government garden above the castle, and a botanical 
garden above the infantry barracks. 

The central plateau of the island is traversed by a 
limestone ridge, dividing it into two unequal portions 
and attaining, in Diana's Peak near the center, a height 
of twenty-seven hundred feet, the greatest elevation in 
St. Helena. The portion lying south of the ridge is 
the more rugged of the two, and consists of a succession 
of hills and peaks, several of which assume curious and 
fantastic shapes. 

In this part is situated the craterlike district known 
as Sandy Bay. There is little doubt that this great 
amphitheater was once a volcanic crater. Crossing it 
from side to side in parallel lines are great dikes 
of harder material. The great peaks called the " Asses' 
Ears " look as if they had been built up of so many 
distinct prisms. Lot and Lot's Wife are both formed 
of strangely contorted columnar basalt. Along the 



246 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



coast, in this same part of the island, there stretches 
a wall of the same material, which rises to the height 
of from fifty to one hundred feet. The isolated por- 
tion of this forms what is known as the Chimney, a 
remarkable column sixty-four feet high. 

All kinds of vegetables are raised here. Of fruits 

there are peaches, 
pears, plums, figs, 
limes, lemons, all 
kinds of apples, 
and many kinds 
of berries. The 
prickly pear, a 
large cactus, 
bears a luscious 
fruit about three 
inches long, 
which is consid- 
ered a great deli- 
cacy, especially 
among the poorer 
classes. Fowl 
and fish are abundant, but fresh meat is hard to obtain. 
Closely linked with the name' St. Helena is that of 
the great emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte. Banished from 
Europe, he was carried to this rock-girt island, where 
he spent the last five years of his eventful life in 
solitude. The house in which he lived and died 
has become famous and is visited yearly by many 
people. It is called Old House Longwood, and is a 
neat, plain, but not large, structure. A new house was 




NAPOLEON'S TOMB, ST. HELENA. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 247 



in process of construction at the time of the emperor's 
death. 

Many interesting places are pointed out on this 
island. Our attention is arrested by a signboard bear- 
ing these words, — " The road to Napoleon's Tomb." 
We take this path, and, after walking about three 
quarters of a mile, reach the gate in the hedge of 
privet which almost surrounds the tomb land. Pass- 
ing this gate we notice a bed of rushes just below the 
road, and a little farther on is the house of the keeper. 

In two minutes after leaving the house we are at the 
tomb. It is surrounded by a neat iron railing, fifteen 
Norfolk Island pines, eighteen cypress trees, and a 
young weeping willow, an offshoot of the older tree 
blown down several years ago. At the left is a little 
well, into which trickles the water of Napoleon's favorite 
spring. We inscribe our name in the visitor's book, 
and take our way once more toward the Old House 
Longwood. 

After proceeding some distance we come to a cottage, 
just beyond which is Wood End Gate, so called on 
account of its being situated at the end of the " Great 
Wood " of native gum trees which existed here at the 
discovery of the island. Near this entrance are the 
police constable's quarters. Walking up the avenue, 
we pass the Magnetic Observatory, now used as a 
boarding house, and the New House Longwood, and 
are at the gate leading to Old House Longwood. This 
is opened for us, and we are politely conducted to the 
room where the bust of the great conqueror stands in 
the very place where he breathed his last. 



248 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



Neat flower and vegetable gardens are seen in the 
inclosure, which is surrounded with privet. At the 
back of the house is the emperor's fish pond, and a few 
yards beyond is the signal station, from which every 
ship coming to St. Helena is descried, and telegrams 
are sent to all parts of the island. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 
THE AZORES. 

The Azores, or Western Islands, are in the north 
Atlantic near latitude 38° and west longitude 28°. 
They belong to Portugal, by which they were colonized, 
and were named the Azores from agor, or azor, a hawk. 
They are nine in number, and are arranged in three 
groups. St. Michael, in the most southern group, is 
the largest of all the islands, being fifty miles long and 
five to twelve miles broad. Ponta Delgada is its chief 
town. Horta is the capital of the island of Fayal. 

They are all of volcanic origin, and present a rugged 
though picturesque appearance, being lofty, precipitous, 
and generally of a conical form. The highest point is 
Mount Pico, seven thousand six hundred feet high, on 
an island of the same name in the central group. Angra, 
on an island not far from Pico, is the capital of the 
Azores, and has the only good harbor in the archipelago. 

The combined area of all the islands is nearly one 
thousand square miles, and the population about two 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



249 



hundred and seventy thousand. The climate, though 
humid, is delightful, and, combined with the natural 
fertility of the soil, brings every variety of vegetable 
product to perfection. Coffee, sugar cane, tobacco, 
and corn are cultivated with the best success. Lupine, 
which grows to a great size, is one of the most valuable 





ST. MICHAEL, AZORES. 



productions. The seeds of this plant, soaked in sea 
water to rid them of their bitterness, form a favorite 
food of the lower classes. Wine, brandy, lemons, and 
oranges are exported in large quantities. 

Between two and three hundred sailing vessels and 
forty steamers are busy in transporting oranges. The 
fruit is carefully picked from the trees by boys and 



250 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



placed in baskets, which women take on their heads and 
empty in the midst of large groups of boys and men. 
Small boys near by are kept busy smoothing out corn 
husks to be used as wrappers. The oranges are wrapped 
singly and passed to the packers, who place them care- 
fully in the boxes. From ten to fifty fresh juicy oranges 
may be purchased for a single cent. 

When the Azores were discovered, they were totally 
uninhabited and without animals of any kind except 
birds, which were numerous and of many varieties. 

Modern improvements have no place here. Flax is 
much cultivated, but, in preparing it for the loom, 
a spindle and distaff are generally used instead of a 
spinning wheel. The wheels in use are of the crudest 
kind. Wheat is trodden out by oxen on a large thresh- 
ing floor. Butter is made by shaking the milk in an 
earthen vessel or burying it in the ground in a leather 
bag. Plows are made of wood, the share only being 
shod with iron. 

The common cart is an unwieldy, two-wheeled vehi- 
cle with high, woven, wicker sides, resembling the an- 
cient Roman chariot. The wheels are made of solid 
wood bound with iron, and are firmly attached to a 
wooden axle, and the whole revolves together. The 
peasant dislikes to grease these axles, maintaining that 
the noise frightens witches away and makes the oxen 
work better. Thus, moving vans squeak along the 
highways, making a noise worse than that of howling 
dogs. 

The houses are of every style of architecture and are 
built of lava blocks, the roofs being covered with tiles. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



251 



Nearly all are whitewashed on the outside. The stores 
are generally without windows, two or three large open 
doors supplying their places. Strange signs are often 




PREPARING YARN FOR THE LOOM. 



displayed. A strip of cloth tied to a stick indicates a 
dry-goods store ; a bunch of onions, a groceiy. Some 
of the streets have very curious names. We hear of a 



252 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




FAYALESE COSTUMES, AZORES. 



"John the Baptist Street," and a "Virgin Mary Street," 
and a " Street of the Good God." 

As regards dress, there is a great variety of costumes. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 253 



The rich people dress as do those of European coun- 
tries, but among the poor many national peculiarities 
exist. Every woman has a capote, and wears it on the 
street. It is a blue cloth coat, made long enough to 
reach nearly to the ground. To the neck is attached 
a stiff hood of the same material, which, on account of 
its great size, makes the head appear all out of propor- 
tion to the body. 

The corresponding curiosity in the men's apparel is a 
high-peaked hat of blue cloth lined with serge. The 
visor, which is crescent-shaped, projects six or eight 
inches over the forehead. From the back of the hat, 
a large cape falls over the shoulders and fastens under 
the chin. 

The better class of people are intelligent and refined ; 
a system of free schools is carried on by the government. 
The condition of the lower classes is wretched in the 
extreme. Poor and ignorant, oppressed by church and 
state, many of them annually seek to escape to the 
United States and Brazil. But passports are not 
granted to those desiring emigration, unless they give 
bonds to the amount of three hundred dollars to return 
and serve in the army when conscripted, and this the 
most of them are unable to do. As a result many of 
them try to escape clandestinely, and " stealing Portu- 
guese," as assisting these people to escape is called, was 
at one time a large and paying business. 

Horses and carriages are very scarce, and all travel- 
ing is done on the backs of donkeys. The saddle used 
consists of a thick pad of matting or straw ; over this 
a wooden frame, somewhat resembling a sawhorse, is 



254 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



strapped, and over all is a soft pillow or a strip of car- 
peting. There are no stirrups, and the bridle is but a 
piece of rope, at one end tied round the donkey's neck, 

and at the other 
to one of the sad- 
dle horns. The 
donkey is driven 
by a boy or man 
who runs along 
behind. When 
he wants the don- 
key to go faster 
he uses a goad or 
his voice ; and a 
long drawn out 
"Ye-e-e," accom- 
panied by a vig- 
orous pull at the 
tail, is a signal for the poor beast to stop. 

The Azores are overrun with beggars. On Saturday, 
" Beggar's Day," they literally swarm in the streets and 
importune you on every corner. They have little mod- 
esty, and make a great display of their deformities and 
ailments in order to excite more sympathy. Able- 
bodied vagabonds are arrested, and either transported 
or employed on public works. 




RETURNING FROM MARKET. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 255 



CHAPTER XXV. 

THE CANARY AND MADEIRA ISLANDS. 

About sixty miles from the west coast of Northern 
Africa is a group of seven islands and several islets, 
known as the Canary Islands. They have an area of 
abont three thousand square miles. The capital is Santa 
Cruz, situated on the northeast coast of Teneriffe, the 
largest island of the group. 

The coasts of these islands are rocky and abrupt. 
Their formation is as singular as it is interesting, con- 
sisting of a continuous series of volcanic mountains, 
which rise from the coast in a circular form around a 
principal crater. The greater part of them are deeply 
indented, and in the form of a cone reversed. The 
surface of the ground is volcanic, presenting a succes- 
sion of mountains and plains, extinct craters and fertile 
valleys. There are no rivers, but numerous torrents. 

The tropical heat is moderated by the Atlantic 
breezes. Winter is almost unknown along the coasts. 
In October, the hottest month, the thermometer ranges 
from seventy-eight to eighty-seven degrees ; and in 
January, the coldest, from sixty to sixty-six near the 
sea. The islands lie between twenty-seven and twenty- 
nine degrees north latitude. 

They abound in caves, which, being cool in summer 
and sheltered in winter, were used by the aborigines 
as the palaces of their kings and the abodes of their 
rich and noble. The interior of some of them presents 
large square chambers, with stone benches running 



256 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



round them and niches cut in the walls, the latter 
having been intended to receive jars of milk and water. 

The aborigines were in the habit of embalming their 
dead, and caves and grottoes were also used as recep- 
tacles for the mummies. One famous grotto was found 
on the south side of Teneriffe. It was entered through 
a very small aperture, and the interior presented a large 
space, or hall, with several compartments, in which over 
a thousand mummies had been deposited. Very recently 
good specimens have been discovered in a perfect state 
of preservation in the island of Grand Canary. The 
hair was red-brown, and the teeth were of a beautiful 
whiteness. At the beginning of this century a cavern 
was discovered, whose catacombs are said to have fur- 
nished nearly all the cabinets of Europe with specimens. 
Caves are still used by the people as dwelling places. 

The rainy season is from November to February, and 
the dry from April to October. Water is very scarce. 
The camel is much used as a beast of burden in the 
Canaries. The chief productions are the cochineal 
insect, oil, grain, potatoes, sugar cane, and fruits of 
all kinds. The population numbers nearly three hun- 
dred thousand people, and, though many European 
nations are represented, the great majority are Span- 
iards, and the islands are under Spanish rule. 

We will suppose ourselves on a tour of inspection. 
Before we visit the one point of general interest, the 
Peak of Teneriffe, let us stop at this farm house, a good 
example of its class. It stands on the side of a ravine, 
and is built in rambling fashion. The owner lives in a 
distant town, and his farm is run by a fine, stalwart 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 257 



man, who dresses in the ancient costume of the country. 
After our camel has been relieved of its burden, and 
alms have been distributed among the beggars who 
have gathered round, we are shown into a large kitchen 
where supper is waiting. 

Two tables are spread, one long and narrow, the 
other small. Our host takes his seat at the head of 
the former, and the farm laborers, to the number of 
twenty, range themselves along the sides, prepared 
to do ample justice to the meal, which, though coarse 
in quality, is abundant in quantity. We take our seat 
at the small table with the hostess. 

An immense dish stands in the center of our table, 
and three others like it stand at intervals on the other. 
They are all filled with some kind of pottage. Each 
person is supplied with a wooden spoon, and, in com- 
pany with five or six others, dips his spoon into the 
dish nearest him. This mode of partaking of food is 
certainly not the most agreeable, but it is best to ac- 
commodate one's self to the custom of the country, and 
thus avoid giving offense. 

After the meal is finished, all stand up and join with 
the host in a thanksgiving. Then the servants leave 
the apartment, going out in an orderly manner, each 
one asking a blessing of the hostess and kissing her 
hand as he passes. 

The kitchen is now lit up with pine torches stuck in 
the crevices of the walls. Dogs retire to the corners 
to gnaw the bones which have been given them, and 
various other little animals, tamed by the kindness of 
the family, come in to pick up whatever happens to 



258 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



fall in their way. Our hostess is not idle. As soon 
as the supper is over her distaff is in her hands, and 
she engages busily in spinning the flaxen thread. 

The peasantry in many parts of the islands are ex- 
tremely ignorant, the instances in which they are able 
to read and write being very rare. Neither are they 
musically inclined. A tambourine, rude pipes made of 
cane, and guitars are generally the only instruments 
used on festive occasions. 

There are, however, many amusements peculiar to the 
islands. One of these consists of the marching of an illu- 
minated procession by night through the principal streets 
of the town. All who take part in it are uniformly 
dressed in white trowsers and shirts. The greater num- 
ber carry white paper lanterns with lighted candles on 
their heads, and, attaching themselves at equal distances 
to ropes, form two lines, which, marching down the 
street one on each side, preserve the center free from 
spectators. This center space is occupied by those who 
carry immense figures made of white paper over a frame- 
work of cane, representing grim giants as high as the 
housetops. Besides these, there are large figures of 
various other kinds of objects, — sun, moon, camels^ 
donkeys, ducks, and geese, all marching at a wonder- 
fully quick pace. A hole in the back of each figure 
admits of the entrance of the bearers. 

But we must take our way toward the Peak of Tene- 
riffe, or, more properly, Pico de Leyde, situated on the 
island of Teneriffe. Its height is 12,182 feet. On its 
summit is a crater half a league across, and sloping by 
an easy descent to the depth of one hundred and sixty 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 259 

feet. This enormous peak is seen piercing the clouds, 
and surrounded by a girdle, which gives it the appear- 
ance of a fortified city. Towns and villages, with their 
fields, gardens, and vineyards, stretch along its base 
and for some distance up its sides. These are succeeded 
by a woody region, composed chiefly of chestnuts and 
oaks, with an undergrowth of heaths and ferns. Still 
higher is a wide barren plain covered with pumice and 
blocks of lava, and inhabited only by a few rabbits and 
wild goats. 

In ascending the mountain, the last five hundred feet 
have to be accomplished on foot, and the treacherous 
looseness of the soil makes the ascent extremely difficult. 
As we press forward, we notice several jets of steam 
and vapor issuing from among the stones and sand, 
and are told by our guide that these are "the Peak's 
nostrils." We also detect a slight smell of sulphur. 
After a few halts, we attain the summit. From this 
point we can see Grand Canary almost due south of 
us. Farther to the east is another of the group, look- 
ing like a dark streak on the ocean. As to the island 
of Teneriffe itself, we can see over its whole surface, 
and trace its boundaries by the fringe of white sea foam 
all around it. 

This mountain has been seen from a ship's deck one 
hundred and fifteen miles distant, and Humboldt says 
it is visible from a cape one hundred and fifty-three 
miles away. But supposing we take the medium of one 
hundred and thirty-five miles as the distance at which 
the horizon can be made out from the summit of the 
Peak, then we can take in the astonishing circle of 



260 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 261 



nearly eight hundred miles of ocean, — an extent not 
equaled by' the view from any other mountain on the 
face of the earth. 

Madeira is the largest island of the Madeira group, 
which consists of two islands and three islets. Madeira 
lies in the Atlantic Ocean, about four hundred and 
forty miles off the west coast of Morocco, near the 
thirty-second degree of north latitude. It is thirty-five 
miles long and twelve broad. It consists of a mass of 
volcanic rocks, whose highest j)eak reaches an altitude 
of six thousand feet. Through the west half of the 
island runs a central ridge, about five thousand feet 
high, on which is an extensive plain called Paul de 
Serra. From the central mass, steep ridges extend to 
the coast, where they form perpendicular precipices 
from one thousand to two thousand feet high. 

The road leading round the island is, in many places, 
exceedingly picturesque, passing between gigantic cliffs 
or along the front of precipices facing the sea. The 
mountain slopes of Madeira are clothed with unusually 
luxuriant verdure. Terraces are visible on all sides, 
and every available spot is turned to advantage. 

Funchal Bay, on which Funchal, the capital, is situ- 
ated, has been compared to the Bay of Naples, although 
smaller in size. There is the same crescent shape, and 
the same azure sea. The Loo Rock with its fort is 
much like the rock on which the Castel del Ovo is 
built, and there lies the hilly town with its background 
of mountain peaks. 

But a closer inspection of the town is not as pleas- 



262 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



ing as the view from a distance. The streets are 
crooked, narrow, and poorly paved, and few of them 
have any sidewalks. The houses are, generally, mean 
and unpretentious, and irregular in construction, with 
stucco fronts, painted white, red, blue, orange, or green. 
It must be acknowledged, however, that these bright 
colors are quite in keeping with the sunny landscape. 

There are few shops worthy of the name, the larger 
number being nothing but "poky little dens," with 
little or no window space. They are generally crowded 
to overflowing with a curious assortment of wares. 
Many of them, especially those belonging to cabinet- 
makers, shoemakers, and those of similar craft, have 
no front wall, and, consequently, as one passes along 
the street, there is nothing to obstruct a view of the 
interior, where artificers sit and chatter over their 
work as they busily ply the awl or chisel. 

There are three good markets in Funchal, one for 
fish, another for meat, and a third for fruit. These 
markets are always crowded with animated buyers and 
sellers, forming a picturesque scene, and that is the 
great charm of the place. 

The public garden is one of the prettiest places in 
Funchal. It is not large, but it contains a wealth of 
tropical vegetation which has been brought to absolute 
perfection. Just beyond, we come to an iron bridge 
which spans one of the three rivers that flow through 
the town. On crossing the bridge we enter upon the 
Rua Bella Vista, where the garden Avails on each side 
of the street are covered with a countless variety of 
beautiful flowers. Some distance up on the left is the 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 263 




264 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



Portuguese Cemetery, a true " God's Acre." "Palms 
and tree ferns rear their feathery fronds above the 
tombs ; trees of many kinds find a home, and are things 
of beauty in it ; whilst all the place is full of the 
scents of myriads of flowers that are growing in such 
rich profusion everywhere, and the songs of birds that 
are fluttering about ; and on every side are the signs 
of a loving care for the last resting places of the 
honored dead." 

In traveling in Madeira, recourse must be had to 
the carro, the hammock, or the horse. The carro is the 
Funchal cab. It is an iron-shod sledge with awnings 
and curtains, and is drawn by a team of oxen. It seats 
four persons. A boy walks at the head of the oxen to 
direct them in the way, and this he accomplishes by 
tugging at a piece of stout cord fastened to their 
horns. The driver proper walks alongside armed 
with a goad, with which he prods the poor beasts when- 
ever he wishes to accelerate their pace. Each prod is 
accompanied with a yell. The speed with which this 
peculiar vehicle moves is really astonishing, amounting 
to fully one and a half miles per hour. The sledge, or 
carro, is used in place of wheeled vehicles, as the latter 
would be utterly useless on account of the steepness of 
the roads. The only two-wheeled vehicles kept in the 
town are regarded as great curiosities, and are dis- 
played only on notable occasions. 

The carrinlio is a modification of the carro, and is 
used for descending the steep mountain roads. No 
power of propulsion is needed for this vehicle, but, on 
the contrary, force is required to check its downward 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 265 



career. So ropes are attached to the four corners, 
and a stalwart Madeiran grasps hold of each rope, pre- 
pared to hold back instead of to pull. In this con- 
vey ance one or two travelers can safely and comfortably 
descend the steepest slopes. It is a sort of controlled 
toboggan. 

The hammock, or rede, is a combination of stout 
cord and canvas, covered with gayly colored cloths and 
fitted with a kind of hood to protect the traveler from 
the rays of the sun. It accommodates one person. A 
loop at the head of the hammock, and one at the foot, 
admits of its being suspended from a pole which is 
carried on the shoulders of bearers. These men are 
strong, wiry fellows, capable of traveling twenty or 
thirty miles a day over the worst sort of roads and 
under the intense heat of a tropical sun. A ride in a 
hammock must be indulged in to be properly appreciated. 
It is one of the most delightful ways of traveling. 

The huts of the peasantry contain only one poor 
room, usually with no window, and no flooring except 
the bare ground. Oxen tread out the corn on the 
threshing floors just as they did in olden times. The 
implements of agriculture are few and rude. Parents 
and children are alike dirty, and the latter are innocent 
of all clothing except such articles as are absolutely 
necessary. In one thing alone they excel, and that is 
politeness. They run to the roadside to look at a 
stranger, but they invariably remove their hats and 
salute him as he passes. Should he speak to one of 
them, the villager remains with his head uncovered as 
long as the conversation lasts. If a villager desires to 



266 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



speak with a stranger, lie remains hat in hand, and 
calmly awaits the request to make his business known. 
The products of Madeira are those of both the tropic 
and temperate climes. In the lower portions of the 
island, groves of orange and lemon are mingled with 
the vineyards ; higher up bananas, figs, pomegranates, 
and similar fruits thrive and grow. And still higher, 
apples, peaches, pears, currants, and other fruits of the 
temperate zone are found ; some wheat, rye, barley, and 
Indian corn are raised, but not sufficient for home con- 
sumption. Coffee and arrowroot of excellent quality 
are also grown. The richest vine district, and the part 
where the famous Malmsey grape grows, is the valley 
of the Cama de Lobos on the south side of the island. 
In good years the quantity of wine produced is twenty- 
five thousand pipes. In recent years it has been re- 
duced to fifteen thousand pipes, and, in 1852, a disease 
having destroyed the vines, the quantity was reduced 
to four hundred pipes. The island belongs to Portugal. 



CHAPTER XXVI. 
THE CHANNEL ISLANDS. 

The Channel Islands is the name employed to desig- 
nate a group of islands in the English Channel, off the 
northwest coast of France. The principal ones are 
Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, and Sark. They are offi- 
cially comprised in the English county of Hants and 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 267 



the diocese of Winchester, and are the only portions 
of old Normandy now belonging to the English Crown, 
to which they have remained attached ever since the 
Conquest. They have cost the government a great 
deal, having been fortified at an immense expense. 
The population numbers about eighty-eight thousand. 
The language spoken is very peculiar ; its basis being 
unquestionably the Norman-French, or Anglo-Norman. 
There are three well-marked dialects, — those of Jersey, 
Guernsey, and Sark. 

The climate of the islands is peculiar, differing in 
many points from the climates of England and France. 
The days in summer are seldom hot, and the nights are 
pleasantly cool. The autumn is remarkably equable, 
night frosts being seldom felt before December. 

Among vegetable productions, the ilex, or evergreen 
oak, is eminently characteristic, constantly retaining 
its bright green foliage. The elm is also common, 
and the beech grows well. The farmers, as a rule, 
do not approve of trees, as they think they harbor 
birds. Among shrubs the furze and bramble are the 
most prominent. 

Both Jersey and Guernsey are rich in wild flowers. 
The great sea stock, the foxglove, several orchids, and 
numberless others brighten the landscape. Of flower- 
less kinds, the ferns are most interesting. Mosses are 
abundant, especially in ' Guernsey. In all the islands 
lichens grow freely on the rocks. The Guernsey lily, 
introduced from Japan, grows and flowers freely. The 
geranium remains green all winter. The magnolia 
grows to be a large tree. Myrtle, trained against the 



268 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



houses, is limited in height only by the house to which 
it clings. The fuchsia attains immense size, and is 
very common. 

There are few native quadrupeds and reptiles. Wild 
geese, ducks, plovers, gulls, petrels, swans, cormorants, 
and bitterns abound. The variety of fish is great. 
The rockfish, the gar, the gigantic conger, and others 
never fail. Turbot, brill, dory, cod, mackerel, and 
mullet are almost constantly on the market. The 
swordfish, sunfish, angelfish, and even the sea horse, 
lamprey, and blue shark occasionally find their way 
into the bays. Shellfish are common, and in caves, 
bordering on the coast, are found the sea anemones 
and a multitude of species of zoophytes . 

Jersey is oblong in form and very compact, having a 
length of twelve miles and a breadth of five. It lies 
about sixteen miles west of Normandy and about forty- 
five miles south of Alderney. The north coast is char- 
acterized by bold and picturesque scenery, the others 
by large open bays terminated by rocky headlands. 
The interior is covered with trees, intersected by a 
network of roads running in every direction. The 
population of the island, according to the latest census 
(1891), was fifty-four thousand five hundred. 

Jersey is celebrated for its breed of cows. They 
give, on an average, from four to five gallons of milk 
each day. Pears, grapes, and potatoes are exported in 
large quantities. Vegetables of all kinds grow to per- 
fection. The cow cabbage is one of the curiosities of 
the island. It is raised for the sake of the leaves, which 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 269 



are used to carry butter to market. The stem grows to 
be eight or ten feet long and is used as a walking stick. 

St. Heliers is the capital and chief town of Jersey. 
It has both an outer and an inner harbor, and a large 
floating dock of seventeen acres. The impression made 
on entering the town from the pier is not good, as 
several poor, narrow streets have to be traversed in 
order to reach the Royal Square. Here are situated the 
courthouse, the public library, and two of the principal 
hotels: Clean and well-paved streets lead from the 
square in all directions. 

The churches of St. Heliers are numerous, the chief 
one being the parish church near the Royal Square. 
It is built in the early pointed Gothic style, and dates 
from the year 1341. 

Victoria College, first opened for instruction in 1852, 
is a noble structure surrounded with terraces and pub- 
lic walks, and commands a fine view. 

Fort Regent, a modern fortress begun in 1706, but 
completed only lately, stands on a lofty ridge of granite 
to the east of the harbor. Elizabeth Castle, an old and 
useless fortress, built on the rocks to the west, was 
constructed in Queen Elizabeth's time, and covered 
the ruins of an old abbey founded in the twelfth 
century. Close by, though on a detached rock, is a 
ruin called the Hermitage, of ancient date. 

Prince's Tower is one of many points of interest in 
St. Heliers. The' tower is neither ancient nor remark- 
able, but it is built on a tumulus, probably of great 
antiquity, and commands a fine view of the sea and 
part of the island. 



270 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



Guernsey is second in size of the Channel Islands, 
and has an area of twenty-four square miles, two thirds 
of which are under cultivation. Its population, includ- 
ing that of the islands of Herm and Jethon, numbers 
thirty-five thousand. The coast line is deeply indented 
with bays and surrounded with sunken rocks. The 
surface slopes from the south, where the cliffs are lofty, 
to the north coast, which is low. The soil is not nat- 
urally rich, but with the aid of seaweed manure is 
rendered very fertile. The climate is moist, but 
healthy. The orchards furnish pasturage for a famous 
breed of cows, which compare favorably with the Jer- 
seys. They are larger, of coarser structure, and greatly 
inferior in beauty of appearance ; but they are rich 
and large milkers, and the color of the butter they 
produce is far deeper and richer than that of the rival 
race. 

The process of making butter in Guernsey differs 
from the methods adopted elsewhere. The milk is 
poured into tall jars, set in a cool place, and left un- 
touched until churning day. As the churning is done 
only once or twice a week, the cream on the older 
milkings is likely to be much wrinkled, and even 
moldy. The churns are immense in size, often hold- 
ing sixty or seventy gallons. Cream, milk, and mold 
are all poured into the churn, and the churning never 
takes less than two and one half hours. The farmers 
claim that only by this method can they extract all 
the butter from the milk. 

The town of St. Peter Port, the capital, is built on a 
steep slope, and boasts a superb harbor, being shut in 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 271 



from the sea by moles of massive granite. Its houses 
are comfortable, its streets are clean, and its markets 
commodious. The ancient town church has been 
restored without being spoiled, and is the finest church 
building in the Channel Islands. 

The thatch-covered cottages in the interior of 
Guernsey are often picturesque, many of them having 
the characteristic round-arched doorway, which is as 
solid and substantial to-day as when it was built, 
centuries ago. This arch, so common here, is not often 
seen in Jersey. 

Near the shore, north of the harbor of St. Sampson's, 
is Vale Castle, the restored ruins of which are now 
used as a barrack. In the same parish is the Vale 
Church, marked by its curious porch, while to the 
north of this, about one mile, is the most important 
Druid altar, or cromlech, of Guernsey. Of other im- 
portant Druidical remains, the most curious is a tall 
monolith near Rocquaine Bay. 

In the neighborhood of this church and harbor are 
the great granite quarries of Guernsey. Nearly one 
hundred and fifty thousand tons of kerbstone are ex- 
ported, chiefly to London. 

Alderney is about three miles long, and has a cir- 
cumference of eight miles. Its population numbers 
two thousand. The coast is indented with small bays, 
only one of which affords even fairly good anchorage. 
Alderney was once rich in Celtic remains ; but out 
of many, which modern barbarism has destroyed, one 
dilapidated cromlech alone remains. There is but one 



272 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



town in the island, St. Anne, situated on an elevated 
spot near the center. 

And yet Alderney is an important place ; for its 
possession, as a high authority affirms, " determines 
whether England or France shall command the British 
Channel." The original estimate of its fortifications 
was £600,000, but it has since been declared that the 
actual cost is more than twice that amount. 

Though possessing such a warlike aspect, Alderney 
has long been associated with pastoral scenes. The 
Alderney cow has a world-wide reputation, and differs 
from the cattle in the sister islands chiefly in being 
much smaller. 

Sark lies seven miles east of Guernsey and ten north- 
west of Jersey. It has an area of fourteen hundred 
acres, and consists of two high peninsulas, connected 
by a narrow isthmus. These are called Great and 
Little Sark, and the isthmus is one of the wonders of 
the island. The sea on the east and west sides has 
eaten into the land, leaving only a mere wall of earth 
and rock between the two parts of the island. This 
wall, which is broader at the base, narrows toward the 
top, which is just broad enough to admit a country cart. 
There is no protecting balustrade, and on each side there 
is a precipitous descent of rock for more than a hun- 
dred feet to the roaring sea below. This is about four 
hundred and fifty feet long. No small amount of nerve 
is required in crossing, especially if the wind is very 
strong. 

One of the grand natural curiosities of Sark is " Le 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 273 



Creux Terrible," situated in a field on the east side close 
to the shore. It is a huge natural chimney, circular in 
form, with sides formed of vertical, naked rock, and 
fully one hundred and fifty feet deep. At the bottom, 
two tunnels connect it with the shore, and through 
these the sea rushes when the tide flows. The spray 
is tossed almost to the surface, when the wind is high, 
and the seething water, boiling and roaring in the black 
crater, is a frightful sight. 

Herm lies about two and one half miles east of Guern- 
sey, or about halfway between it and Sark. The chief 
attraction to the tourist is Shell Beach, which extends 
for nearly three quarters of a mile along the shore, and is 
one nfass of shells unmixed with sand or stones. Herm, 
too, has nearly forty varieties of sponges. It abounds 
in corals, and has some rare specimens of diminutive 
lobsters and other shellfish. There is a small harbor on 
the western shore, but dangerous currents flow along 
the coast. The population is very small. Quarries 
once in operation were long since abandoned. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

THE ISLES OF WIGHT AND MAN, AND HELIGOLAND. 

The Isle of Wight lies in the English Channel and is 
separated from England by straits named Solent and 
Spithead. Its length from east to west is twenty^ 
two and a half miles, and its breadth at the center 



274 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



is thirteen and a half. It has an area of one hundred 
and forty-six square miles, and a population of seventy- 
nine thousand. It forms a part of Hampshire County, 
and is one of the most beautiful portions of the king- 
dom, presenting an endless variety of landscape in 
miniature. It rises in elevation toward the center, 
where a range of chalk hills traverses it from east 
to west. The highest point, St. Catherine's Hill, 
is eight hundred and thirty feet above the sea. The 
south, especially the southeast coast, termed the " Back 
of the Island," is characterized by precipitous cliffs, 
ravines, or " chines," and scenery of the most romantic 
kind. The Medina River partly separates the island 
into two nearly equal parts. More agricultural prod- 
ucts are raised than can be consumed in the island, 
and this surplus, together with malt, wool, salt, and 
fine sand for the manufacture of glass, form the chief 
exports. In the western part are some wide downs, 
and about forty thousand fine-fleeced sheep are raised 
in the uplands. 

" Chine " is the name given to any part of a cliff 
which is so broken as to admit of ascent. In some 
places these "chines" are very beautiful, their sides 
being covered with heather, fern, and numerous sorts 
of flowers, while a stream of clear water often runs 
along the bottom. But Black Gang Chine is more 
strange than beautiful, and forms a natural channel 
for the gradual ooze and subsidence of black clay and 
other substances diluted and set in motion by land 
springs and streamlets. From its eastern verge is seen 
the whole of the " Back of the Island " as far as Needle 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 275 



Rocks, a coast line of twenty miles without a single 
break by any considerable river in the long forbidding 
line of cliffs. No settlement larger than a fishing ham- 
let breaks this desolate coast. And from this point 
the wide, flat, cultivated plain extends back for some 
miles to Newport. 

Newport, near the center of the island, on the Medina 
River, is its capital. An old stone bridge crosses the 
river at this point. Newport has an ancient guildhall 
and market house, two assembly rooms, a neat theater, 
an excellent public library, two or three banks, and 
several other institutions. There is also an ancient 
church here in which Elizabeth, daughter of Charles 
I., was buried. She died a prisoner in Carisbrook 
Castle after her father's execution. 

The site of this castle marks it as the natural citadel 
of the island. In remote times it was simply a Celtic 
earthwork. Later, William Fitz-Osborne, to whom the 
whole island was granted by the Conqueror, built its 
center and the castle keep, at the corner of the center 
rampart. Shortly afterward a high wall was run round 
the rest of the Celtic rampart, and, in 1086, the area of 
the castle grounds was twenty-six acres. No farther 
change was made until the time of Empress Matilda, 
when the famous well of Carisbrook was added. Then 
Anthony Woodville, brother of the Queen of Edward 
IV., built the great entrance gate. It is even now 
almost perfect, and is a complete example of purely 
military architecture as it was then understood. Its 
proportions are so ornamental and picturesque that its 
adaptation to its purpose is often lost sight of. Henry 



276 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 

VIII. made the first modification for the use of cannon, 
and Queen Elizabeth surrounded the whole by a com- 
plete parallelogram of bastioned defenses, still in perfect 
preservation. 

Yarmouth and Cowes are two other of the principal 
towns of the Isle of Wight. Near the latter is Osborne 
House, a favorite resort of Queen Victoria. Yarmouth 
is a picturesque little place at the mouth of the Yar 
estuary. It has a miniature quay, a fortress, a palace, 
and a church. From the west the river is crossed by 
long narrow bridges and causeways leading to the 
castle and the quay. The poet Tennyson passed much 
time in the later years of his life at his pleasant country 
seat in Farringford, Isle of Wight. 

The Isle of Man is in the Irish Sea, about thirty miles 
west of England, thirty-two east of Ireland, and less 
than twenty south of Scotland. Its extreme length is 
thirty miles and its greatest breadth is thirteen. It has 
an area of two hundred and twenty-seven square miles. 
A mountain chain extends throughout the length of the 
island. The highest point in the range is Snowfield 
(Snaefell), about two thousand feet above the sea 
level. Lead, zinc, iron, and copper are found in the 
mountains. The island has a good supply of water. 
Agricultural methods, usually quite backward, are 
constantly improving. 

The legislative and judicial authority is vested prin- 
cipally in the House of Keys, a self-elected body of 
twenty-four members. The Crown appoints the Gov- 
ernor. The island was settled originally by a tribe of 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



277 



Celts, called the Manx. Later it was held as a feudal 
sovereignty by the Earls of Derby, and more recently 
by the Dukes of Athole, from whom the rights were 
mostly purchased by Great Britain in 1765, the last 
right falling to the Crown as late as 1829. Although 




TENNYSON'S HOUSE, ISLE OF WIGHT. 



all the inhabitants speak English, the Manx language, 
derived from the ancient Celtic, is still in common use. 
The principal towns are Douglas, the capital, Peel, 
Castletown, and Ramsay. The population numbers 
nearly fifty-six thousand. 

The climate of the island is extremely salubrious, with 
no extremes of heat and cold. Shrubs, which in some 



278 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



parts of England require great care and even artificial 
heat, in many sheltered parts of the island grow 
throughout the winter in the open air. Whole hedges 
of fuchsias of large size may be seen growing in mag- 
nificent perfection. 

Before leaving the island, we will take a glimpse of 
a purely Manx village, situated upon the crest of one 
of the Mull Hills. It consists of about a dozen houses, 
and was noted, until the last few years, for its persistent 
retention of the old ideas and manners of the country. 
The community, small as it is, rarely married outside 
of its own limits. They kept up the old habits and 
dress of their fathers. Manx was the only language 
spoken among them. None of them had ever been 
outside of the island, except during their fishing voy- 
ages, and many of them had never been outside the 
limits of their own parish. Deeply impressed with 
religious feelings, and remarkably moral in their con- 
duct, their prejudices were strong, their ideas were 
$ narrow, their ignorance of everything beyond the 
sphere of their daily lives was profound, and their 
belief in fairies and other spiritual beings was without 
limit. 

Their houses were low, roughly built huts thatched 
with straw, while bundles of gorse, placed in the door- 
ways, served instead of doors. Of course this is all 
rapidly passing away. The Manx dialect is fast being 
superseded by the English language. Owing to the 
advent of the " iron horse " and the regular arrival of 
mail steamers, their exclusiveness is fast passing away. 
The old national dress — the undyed wool jacket and 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 279 



the Sunday blanket — has almost disappeared. Bnt 
their narrow ideas and their old-world superstitions 
are almost as strong and as operative as ever. 

Heligoland is an island in the North Sea, belonging 
to Germany, about forty-six miles northwest of the 
mouth of the Elbe. It has an area of five and a fourth 
square miles, and a population of about two thousand. 
It consists of a rock rising to the height of two 
hundred feet, on which are a village and a lighthouse. 
A portion of the village is at the base of the cliffs, and 
the upper and lower settlements are connected by a 
flight of two hundred steps as well as by a passenger 
elevator. On account of the encroachments of the sea, 
the island is gradually decreasing in size. The inhabit- 
ants, of Friesian descent, are mostly occupied as pilots, 
or are engaged in lobster or haddock fisheries, which 
yield an annual revenue of £5000. Heligoland was 
held in high veneration in the Middle Ages. It is of 
some importance as a port in wartime, and was retained 
by England until 1890, when it was ceded to Germany, 
forming a part of the province of Schleswig-Holstein. 
Of late it has been much frequented as a watering place. 

Heligoland, in common with all other places, has its 
Sunday character. Steamers arrive as usual, the theater 
is open, and all occupations are continued the same as 
on other days. But, nevertheless, the day has its pecul- 
iarities. Like the Jewish Sabbath, it begins at sun- 
down. On Saturday evening there is no dancing on the 
island. On Sunday morning the band does not play, 
and the little church is filled with devout worshipers. 



280 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 281 



It is a curious little building of the seventeenth century; 
but its ruined tower has recently been rebuilt by the 
generosity of a native who had made a large fortune. 
A gallery runs round three sides, and on its front is a 
series of odd, and sometimes grotesque, illustrations of 
Scripture stories. The artist who painted these pictures 
was never famous, and their chief charm is his deter- 
mination to make his meaning clear to the most casual 
observer. Everyone has heard of Satan's cloven hoofs, 
or of his lame foot. Our Heligolander has gone a little 
further, and has boldly represented him in the tempta- 
tion of Christ, with a regular wooden leg having a round 
knob at the end. 

The pews are painted all manner of bright colors, 
and are a part of a man's property, which he can be- 
queath at death to whom he will. At each side of the 
communion table is a private box with blue glass, the 
seats of the governor and magistrate. Behind the altar 
is a curious collection of ecclesiastical bric-a-brac, old 
hour glasses, old pictures, and a hundred odds and 
ends. The service as a rule is conducted in German, but 
once a week the minister preaches a sermon in English. 

Heligoland claims to have a national dress. The 
men wear a white linen jumper, thick blue trowsers, 
and high boots, with smackman's hat for headgear. 
The women don a pretty little black silk cap, a striped 
green and red petticoat, with short dark skirt and 
white apron. But the real national costume is not 
worn in Heligoland every day. Men and women alike 
wear good warm clothing. The inhabitants are a happy, 
contented people, and their longevity is remarkable. 



282 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

THE BALEARIC ISLES. 

This group consists of five principal islands and 
some smaller ones, in the Mediterranean Sea, the three 
most important being Majorca, Minorca, and Iviza. 
The united area is about two thousand square miles. 
They form a province under the control of Spain, and 
lie midway between her coast and that of Algeria. 

Majorca is nearly square in form, the greatest dis- 
tance from east to west being sixty miles and from 
north to south fifty. Its area is thirteen hundred 
square miles. The highest mountains of the group 
are those of Majorca, the loftiest peak attaining a 
height of forty-eight hundred feet. The climate is 
mild and agreeable, and the extremes of heat and 
cold are seldom of long duration. Fires are rarely 
required, except in the coldest weather. 

The soil of these islands on the average is exceedingly 
fertile, and produces good crops of wheat, barley, olives, 
almonds, grapes, figs, oranges, beans, and hemp. Besides 
these, a great variety of other fruits and vegetables are 
grown for local consumption. 

Pigs and sheep are largely raised in these islands, 
and form a great source of wealth ; but goats and cat- 
tle are scarce, especially in Majorca, where cow's milk 
and butter are great luxuries. In the smaller islands 
pastures are provided, and the keeping of cows is fast 
becoming one of the chief sources of wealth. 

The principal city, and the capital of the province, 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



283 



is Palma, a fortified town on the southwest coast of 
Majorca. It is built in the form of an amphitheater, 
and is surrounded by a wall thirty-six feet thick, with 




A MAN OF THE BALEARIC ISLANDS. 



thirteen bastions and eight gates, three of which front 
the sea. The streets are straight, but narrow. Most 
of them are paved, and provided with footways laid 
with tiles. As you approach the city it appears to be 
a great mass of yellow and white buildings, with flat 



284 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



roofs or slanting tiled ones. On the flat roofs great 
cages for pigeons may be seen. The people are very 
fond of these birds and tend them with great care. 
In the morning the birds are allowed their freedom, 
bnt they all know their homes and return at night to 
their respective cages. 

The most imposing object seen on approaching the 
harbor is the great cathedral, which stands close to the 
sea. It is lofty and of vast size ; it is built of brick, 
with flying buttresses, manifold small pinnacles, and 
side buttresses so large and substantial that they have 
already outlived centuries. There is one solitary tower 
over the north doorway, which has narrow pointed 
windows and an open balustrade. The cathedral was 
commenced in the thirteenth century, and was finished 
at the end of the sixteenth. It is of a splendid amber 
color of an exquisite shade, which can only be produced 
by the lapse of time. 

The interior is of the Gothic style of architecture, 
and on entering it you are awed not so much by its 
beauty as by its immensity. This impression is height- 
ened by the fact that the whole interior is seen at once. 
The pillars which form the central nave are octagonal 
and very slender. They are architectural wonders, for 
in no other place are to be seen pillars of so great height 
resting on bases so small. Though the effect cannot be 
said to be pleasing, it is certainly wonderful. Other 
points of peculiar interest in this cathedral are the 
carved wooden reredos, dating from Mediaeval times, 
and the tombs of Mallorcan bishops and kings. 

Next to the cathedral, the Longa is the most remark- 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 285 



able building in Palma. It is a large, square, Gothic 
structure, dating from the first half of the fifteenth 
century. At each corner is an octagonal tower with 
indented battlements. From tower to tower runs an 
openwork, indented gallery of great beauty. The 
entrance is a Gothic doorway of remarkable size. The 
interior is a single square chamber. The arched roof 
is supported by fluted pillars, slender and graceful. 
From these start the moldings which gradually form 
the arches. This building was intended for an ex- 
change and was used as such for many ages. Later it 
was employed for public meetings and as a ballroom. 
Recently it passed through the hands of restorers and 
workmen, by whom it was thoroughly repaired. 

Nearly all traces of Moorish rule and reign have 
disappeared from Palma. An old palace with its beau- 
tiful courtyard is still to be seen, and also an old Moor- 
ish fountain. This fountain stands facing a street, and 
from it runs a thoroughfare on either side. A building 
of conical shape incloses the water, which is unseen. 
On each side of the fountain stands an orange tree, 
enlivening the structure with its glossy verdure and 
golden fruit. 

Of the interior towns and villages of this island, 
there are few as interesting as Valdemosa. Long be- 
fore the Spanish conquered the island this place was 
held in high estimation by the Moors. Later a king 
chose these hills for his summer residence, and built a 
palace here, which was converted into a convent in the 
last part of the fourteenth century. Little remains of 
this convent at present, its very chapel having been 



286 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



converted into a ballroom. The village is one of the 
poorest of its size in the island. While the convent 
flourished, provisions were to be had for the asking at 




A WOMAN OF THE BALEARIC ISLANDS. 



the convent gate. But this promiscuous charity had 
an evil effect on the men of the village. Many of them 
found a special protector in one or another of the rich 
monks, and preferred the convent's gifts to the scanty 
wages of mountain labor. But the wives and daughters 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 287 



were never allowed inside the cloister gates, and all the 
work fell upon them. This is largely the case still, and 
round -shouldered, high-backed women are to be seen 
everywhere, toiling down the rugged mountain paths 
with enormous loads of fagots on their shoulders. 

Besides carrying wood, the women work with the hoe, 
and gather the olives and almonds. They are also 
employed in the orchards and gardens, for in no part 
of the islands is fruit grown in such variety and abun- 
dance as here. The men now busy themselves as char- 
coal burners or fishermen, or are employed on the 
adjoining farms and estates. 

Minorca is situated about twenty-seven miles north- 
east of Majorca and has an area of about two hundred 
and ninety square miles. The coast is much indented 
with bays on all sides except the south, and the shore 
in most places is bold and steep. It has several ex- 
cellent harbors, the best one of which is Port Mahon, 
the capital of the island. The climate of Minorca is 
mild, but not so equable as that of Majorca. The soil 
in general is not very fertile, that on the plains being 
scanty and chalky. The chief products are wheat, 
barley, wine, oil, potatoes, hemp, and flax. Fruits of 
all kinds abound, including melons, pomegranates, figs, 
and almonds. Cattle, sheep, and goats are raised. 
Stone is plentiful, and a soft kind is much used in 
building. The population numbers about thirty-nine 
thousand. 

Iviza, though much smaller than the other islands, is 
the most varied in scenery and the most fruitful. Its 



288 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



coasts are much indented and rugged like those of 
Minorca, and its products about the same. It is occu- 
pied by about twenty-one thousand people. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

SARDINIA, CORSICA, AND ELBA. 

Next to Sicily, Sardinia is the largest of the islands 
in the Mediterranean Sea, having an area of nearly 
ninety-three hundred square miles. It lies directly 
south of Corsica, from which it is separated by the 
Strait of Bonifacio, a channel which in its narrowest 
part is only seven miles wide. The country is mostly 
mountainous, and some of the peaks of the central 
chain have an elevation of over six thousand feet. 
Many of these peaks are extinct volcanoes. The coasts 
are as a rule steep and rugged. There are many 
streams of water on the island, but only one of them 
is even partially navigable, and none of them has a 
long course. 

The climate is mild, but in the low marshy lands, 
particularly in the neighborhood of some of the lakes, 
a deadly malaria prevails, especially in autumn. The 
inhabitants of these parts, who can afford to do so, 
migrate annually during the unhealthy months. Those 
who remain never leave their houses till an hour after 
sunrise, and return before sunset, carefully closing all 
doors and windows to prevent the entrance of the 



X 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 289 




290 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



poisonous gas. Between the mountain ranges are 
several wide valleys noted for their beauty and 
fertility. 

The principal products are wheat, barley, maize, 
oranges and other fruits, all of which are esteemed 
for their excellent quality. Grapes are extensively 
raised ; but from carelessness in the process of making 
the wine, it is of an inferior quality. Olive trees are 
numerous. Cotton, linseed, flax, and hemp are also 
produced. Among the trees which grow on the moun- 
tain sides are cork, chestnut, oak, and pine, which form 
a considerable item in the export trade. The manu- 
factories of gunpowder, salt, and tobacco are also of 
importance. Sardinia is rich in minerals, but as yet 
its mines have been little developed. 

The bullock is the favorite animal for draft, although 
horses are used to some extent. A small species of 
pony, much esteemed by the Roman matrons, is still 
found. Sheep, swine, and cattle are kept, and wild 
boars and deer are not uncommon. Foxes, rabbits, 
hares, and martens are so abundant that a large export 
trade in their skins is carried on. 

The people bear a strong resemblance to the Greeks, 
and speak a dialect composed chiefly of Spanish, Arabic, 
and Italian. As a rule they are ignorant and bigoted, 
having been subjected to misgovernment and oppression 
from their emancipation from Roman rule until 1836, 
when feudal tenure was abolished and the enormous 
power of the clergy somewhat reduced. With few ex- 
ceptions they are stupid and indolent, and often clothe 
themselves in sheepskins. Sardinia forms a part of the 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



291 




kingdom of Italy. The population of the island numbers 
over seven hun- 
dred thousand. 

Cagliari is its 
capital city. It 
is situated on 
the northeast 
shore of a large 
bay on the south 
coast of the is- 
land, has a spa- 
cious and safe 
harbor defended 
by several forts, 
and is the em- 
porium of all 
the trade of the 
island. Cagliari 
is very pictur- 
esque when 
viewed from the 
sea, as it covers 
the slope and 
summit of a 
promontory, the 
highest part 
of which is 
crowned by a 
noble castle. 

The streets of the city are narrow, steep, and poorly 
paved. In the early morning they are swept by galley 




A WOMAN OF SARDINIA. 



292 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



slaves, the dull clink of whose heavy fetters jars on the 
nerves. There is a loveliness in the fresh, gentle breeze 
of the early morning, which is peculiar to warm cli- 
mates. But, as in other lands, the richer people do 
not value these fresh, calm hours, and it is only the 
poorer ones who are astir. The church bells are ring- 
ing for early mass, and the worshipers, chiefly of the 
peasant class, look very gay in their endless variety of 
dresses — for each class, and each trade, has its distinc- 
tive costume. 

The little streets are a universal workshop, for every 
one plies his trade in the open air : the carpenter, the 
cobbler, the tinman, and the tailor — all hard at work. 
Everybody seems to be acquainted with everybody else, 
and what a chattering there is ! Pretty girls are pick- 
ing grain to be ground in the family mill, and old 
women are busily spinning, while little children are 
eating figs and bread in the sunshine, and rolling 
round in the dirt, as childhood delights in doing the 
world over. 

Down in the market place the noise increases and 
the scene defies description. Numerous dogs, lank, 
starved-looking creatures, roam about in all directions. 
Every morning, when the city gates are opened, crowds 
of them are waiting to enter. They go to the market 
and all round the town, devouring the refuse which 
they find. 

As noon approaches, doors are shut and locked, shut- 
ters are closed, and quiet reigns everywhere. " Cagliari 
dines, and after dinner Cagliari sleeps." The Sardin- 
ian is fond of the good things of the table, and he is 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 293 




294 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



also a firm believer in the siesta. Later in the day the 
city wakes up, and the people take a turn in the pub- 
lic walk that winds around the castle-crested hill on 
which the city stands. Lovely views are obtained of 
the surrounding country. There lies the great salt 
lake, where in the winter season may be seen large 
flocks of brilliant flamingoes. At sunset, the drums 
beat as a signal for the soldiers to retire to their quar- 
ters. There is no twilight here, for the sun goes down 
quickly. 

May Day is the festal day of the patron saint of the 
city. From early dawn all is excitement. Bells are 
ringing, flags flying, and cannon firing, while the 
steep streets are full of life and brilliant with gay 
costumes. Peasants from the adjoining villages troop 
into the town, the women riding on pillions behind 
the men. All are gayly dressed ; for the Sardinian is 
poor indeed who does not have a gay costume for 
festal occasions, no matter how humble his everyday 
attire may be. 

First in the procession come the military, accom- 
panied by all the drummers who can be mustered. 
Next come the gentlemen of Cagliari. ' These are 
descended chiefly from the old Spanish nobility, and 
have dark, olive-tinted complexions. They are mounted 
on richly caparisoned horses, which they manage with 
great skill. They are followed by peasants in their 
wild, native costumes, who play vehemently upon 
instruments of great antiquity. 

Then comes the state coach, all gilding and plate 
glass. Within is an effigy of the saint, life-size, 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 295 



dressed in full canonicals, and surrounded by large 
lighted wax tapers. The vehicle is drawn by a yoke 
of cream-colored oxen, of a peculiar breed kept for 
this sacred purpose. An orange is stuck on the tip of 
each monstrous horn, while flowers and ribbons adorn 
the head and neck. And now comes the really won- 
derful part of the procession, — a great company of 
women. It would seem as if all the feminine popula- 
tion of Cagliari and the adjacent villages had made a 
vow to accompany the saint to Scaffa. Having reached 
Scaffa, the saint, or rather his effigy, will proceed, 
properly accompanied, to Pula, the place of his mar- 
tyrdom, while the women will return to their homes. 
On the fourth day the saint will return, and the 
women will meet him at Scaffa, in the same manner as 
they have conducted him hither. 

The island of Corsica has an area of nearly thirty- 
four hundred square miles. The central part is occu- 
pied by a range of mountains, branching off in all 
directions. There are three peaks over eight thousand 
feet high, and two over seven thousand. The island 
belongs to France. The most important resource is 
timber. Lead, antimony, and copper abound. Olives, 
almonds, figs, and grapes are raised extensively. Of 
the two hundred and ninety thousand inhabitants, only 
sixty per cent can read and write. 

Ajaccio, the capital, is a delightful town, and far 
cleaner than any other in Corsica. The streets are 
gay and busy, and the inhabitants are pleasant and 
polite. One of the first sights to be visited in the 



296 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



town is the house belonging to the Bonaparte family, 
on the site of that in which Napoleon was born. The 
original homestead was burnt in the lifetime of the 
emperor. The present house is a large one, three 
stories in height, surmounted by a small turret. A 
black marble slab is placed above the door by which 




BIRTHPLACE OF NAPOLEON, CORSICA. 



you enter, giving the date of Napoleon's birth as the 
15th of August, 1769. At present, this renowned 
dwelling place is let out in lodgings. 

The men of Corsica dress very much like those who 
belong to the working classes in other countries. The 
only variety is caused by the wide-awake hat, the high 
boots, and the strap worn over the shoulder and sup- 
porting the large gourd which hangs at one side and 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 297 



contains the wine. As a rnle, the men are lazy. They 
never carry anything except a gnn, a stick, or an um- 
brella. It is not unusual to see them mounted on the 
backs of donkeys, with their pipes in their mouths, 
whilst their good wives trudge along behind, carrying 
babes and heavy burdens, the latter balanced on the 
head. The women dress in black or white, or some 
somber shade, the skirt and jacket usually being of 
different materials. A large white or black handker- 
chief is tied under the chin, and when pulled forward, 
forms a good protection against the rays of the sun. 
The internal evil of this island has been the vendetta, 
or private revenge for the death of a kinsman. It 
has broken out again and again. It was the natural 
result of corrupt legislation among a people of violent 
passions and revengeful dispositions. In the thirty 
years previous to 1800, seven thousand murders were 
committed on its account. Then by strenuous meas- 
ures the French government checked the evil. It 
was made penal for a man to carry a gun or any 
other weapon, and the law while in force worked well. 
During the last few years the law has been rescinded, 
and now every man carries his loaded gun. 

Elba is the largest island of Tuscany, and lies in the 
Mediterranean Sea between Corsica and the coast of 
Italy, from which it is separated by a channel. It is 
triangular in form and rounded on the west coast. Its 
shores are elevated and steep, and deeply indented by 
seven gulfs, which form several good ports, the best of 
which is that of Porto Ferrajo, the capital. The area of 



298 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



i 



I 



''"'''. . \* liM . 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 299 



the island is ninety square miles, and the population 
numbers twenty-four thousand. 

Elba is traversed by three mountain chains, which 
meet southeast of the capital. The highest point 
is 3134 feet in elevation. The climate, except in some 
low shore districts, is temperate and healthful. Iron 
abounds in many places, but is worked only at one 
point. By the treaty of Paris, in 1814, the island was 
erected into a sovereignty for Napoleon, and it was his 
residence from May 4, 1814, to February 26, 1815. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

SICILY AND MALTA. 

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean 
Sea, and forms an important part of the kingdom of 
Italy. It is nearly in the form of an equilateral tri- 
angle. The area is nearly ten thousand square miles ; 
the population 3,365,000. 

The coast, though presenting many small indenta- 
tions, has few large bays, and there are no lakes worthy 
of the name. The streams are numerous, but small. 
The climate is excellent, and, with the exception of 
a few localities, very healthful. The average annual 
temperature is about sixty-two degrees. In the summer 
the sky is usually beautifully clear and serene, but in 
the autumn dews and fogs increase, and rain falls in 
frequent and heavy showers. The most annoying 



300 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



^ r— ,. ,. 



l ,;, illi [.!, 





AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEa. 301 



wind is the sirocco, which blows from the deserts of 
Africa. Its stifling heat is intolerable, and during its 
continuance, which is generally three or four days, the 
natives confine themselves to their houses, closing all 
doors and windows carefully, 

The interior of Sicily is finely diversified. A range 
of mountains commences in the northeast extremity of 
the island and stretches a little west of southwest, 
becoming gradually less elevated and throwing out 
numerous branches. This range resembles the Apen- 
nines of Italy, and strongly confirms the opinion that 
at one time Sicily formed part of the European conti- 
nent. A tradition exists that the separation was ac- 
complished by a tremendous convulsion of nature, at 
which time the narrow Strait of Messina was formed. 
The volcanic agencies, still active within historic times, 
especially in Mount Etna, support this theory. This 
mountain is the most remarkable natural feature of 
Sicily, and one of the greatest wonders of the world. 
It stands completely separated from the mountain range 
just mentioned, forming an immense cone, which, at 
its base, has a circuit of eighty-seven miles. It rises 
gradually from the plain until it reaches a height of 
over. 10,800 feet. 

The climate and soil of Sicily are both well adapted 
for raising vegetable products. The hilly country is 
clothed with fine timber, and the pastures support large 
flocks and herds. In the lower grounds cultivation 
is general, and the crops are often remarkably large, 
though the method of culture is careless and unskill- 
ful. The implements in vogue are such as were used 



302 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



centuries ago, and grain is still thrashed out by being 
trodden under foot by cattle. The most valuable crops 
are wheat, barley, and maize. Next to grain the most 
important products are those of the vine and olive. 
Many of the grapes are dried, but many more are con- 
verted into wine of various kinds and of an excellent 
flavor. 

The olive trees of Sicily are remarkable for their size 
and strength. The olives begin to fall in August, but 
these are small and green and of little value. As the 
season advances, the olives change to a darker green, 
and, though still unripe, yield the dearest kind of oil, 
called virgin oil. In October they are fully ripe, and 
are almost black in color. Then they are gathered b} T 
men, women, and children. The men climb the trees, 
and shake them down on sheets spread below. The 
making of the oil lasts during the whole season. Men, 
dressed in the primitive costume of the country, — linen 
shirts, and trowsers reaching to the knees, — turn, with 
great labor and fatigue, a rude mill in which the olives 
are first crushed. As this process does not extract all 
the oil, the olives undergo another crushing in a mill 
as rude as the first. The people seem perfectly will- 
ing to expend a great deal of time and strength in 
order to make oil after the slow ancestral fashion, 
rather than submit to innovations in the way of 
modern improvements. 

Silk is another source of income in Sicily. The rais- 
ing of silkworms is a delicate task and is left to the 
women. In the month of May they take the " seed," 
or egg of the silkworm moth, roll it in a linen cloth, 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA, 803 




SICILIAN TYPES. 



304 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



and place it in their beds when they rise in the 
morning. This amount of heat is sufficient, but all 
doors and windows must be kept carefully closed, lest a 
chill breath of air should reach the dainty treasure, 
which, even in good seasons, costs over two dollars 
an ounce, and at other times is worth even four times 
that amount. When the seed is hatched, the young 
silkworms are placed in a flat basket which has pre- 
viously been lined with the freshest and youngest of 
mulberry leaves. These must be renewed every day 
by placing fresh leaves above them. The worms 
devour an immense amount, and make a great noise 
while eating. When full grown they are fed no more. 
The women take them from the basket and place them 
on a dry twig, where they are left to weave the myste- 
rious home in which their transformation takes place. 
At first they wander restlessly from point to point 
of their twig, but at length they commence their work 
by throwing around them a fine white silk in which the 
chrysalis is enveloped. Then within that they weave 
their shroud of spotless white or shining yellow; this 
shroud, or envelope, is the cocoon. Their labor never 
ceases until their stock of silk is exhausted, when they 
fall asleep to wait the day of their resurrection. For 
many of them it never comes. In their helpless state, as 
chrysalids, they are taken and baked in an oven or roasted 
in the hot noonday sun. In the month of August, when 
both crops of silk are in, men take the cocoons and put 
them in large caldrons filled with boiling water. The 
silk is loosened, and with great dexterity men catch up 
the flying threads and throw them on a large reel stand- 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



305 




306 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



■ ■ ■ — 



ing near. It turns swiftly and unwinds the beautiful 
silk fiber. 

Palermo, a fortified town, is the capital of Sicily. It 
stands on the north side of the island in a rich valley, 
at the base of Monte Pellegrino. It is built in the 
form of an amphitheater, facing the sea, and is sur- 
rounded by an old wall. The valley has been called the 
golden plain, because of its great fertility. It tapers to 
a fine point where the mountains meet, and spreads 
out toward the sea like a cornucopia. The whole of 
this area is covered with olive, orange, palm, almond, 
fig, and locust trees, whilst the Judas bush and flower- 
ing plants innumerable adorn every open space. 

Palermo was probably founded by the Phoenicians, 
and was a stronghold of Carthage nearly three hundred 
years before Christ. An antique cathedral and the 
grounds in which it stands form the most picturesque 
spot in modern Palermo. A host of statues of holy 
or distinguished natives surrounds the inclosure in 
front of the cathedral, which, though lacking some- 
what in the dignity of its outline, is splendid in the 
golden color of its stone and in the magnificence of 
its decoration. 

The older portions of the cathedral were built in the 
tenth century by an English archbishop, called Walter 
of the Mill. All that remains of his work, however, are 
the crypt and portions of the south and east walls, the 
rest having been rebuilt at different times. The noble, 
isolated clock tower, which adjoins the archbishop's 
palace, is united to the cathedral by tAVO arches across 
the street. The cupola, which has been said to spoil 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



307 



the effect of the whole, was added in modern times. 
The interior is of excellent proportions, and contains 
two beautiful holy water basins, the silver shrine of St. 
Rosalia, the statues of the Apostles, and the Tombs of 
the Kings, which are most deserving of mention, as 




THE CATHEDRAL, PALERMO. 



they form one of the most interesting groups of royal 
sepulchers in the world. At the back of the second 
chapel is the monument of King Roger, " mighty duke, 
and first King of Sicily." In the first chapel is the 
tomb of Frederick II. , and beside it that of his daugh- 
ter, Queen Constantia, " in whom the glorious dynasty 
of the Norman kings came to an end." Besides the 



308 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



cathedral, there are nearly three hundred other churches 
in Palermo. 

The palace is now the residence of the prefect of 
Palermo. Part of it, built in the early part of the 
eighteenth century, was decorated with red Sicilian 
marble. In the Parliament Hall and the neighboring 
chambers are paintings by Sicilian artists. On the 
second floor, in the Norman tower, the angles are 
decorated by small Norman pillars ; and the ceiling 
and walls are brilliant with mosaics, representing on 
the ceiling various kinds of animals, and on the walls 
Norman hunters, crossbows, and stags. 

Palermo is the residence of the military commandant 
of the island, and has an arsenal and shipyards. Its 
university, founded in the fourteenth century, has 
over seven hundred students and a library of forty 
thousand volumes. The town has a botanical garden 
and many learned societies. Its manufactures consist 
chiefly of silks, cottons, oilcloth, leather, glass, and 
gloves. The population, in 1894, was two hundred 
and seventy-six thousand. 

Sicily is divided into seven provinces, each one of 
which is presided over by a prefect. Each province is 
subdivided into three or four districts, and these again 
into numerous townships. Over each district is placed a 
sub-prefect, and over each township a mayor. Of course 
this insular self-government does not supersede the neces- 
sity of sending Sicilian deputies to the national parlia- 
ment at Rome ; for, having been liberated from the 
tyranny of the Bourbons by the victories of Garibaldi, 
in 1861, Sicily was annexed to the kingdom of Italy. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 309 



About sixty miles south of Sicily in the Mediter- 
ranean Sea lies a group of three islands and two islets 
known as the Maltese Islands.. The largest of these, 
Malta, is seventeen miles long, and contains an area of 
ninety-five square miles. It is of an oval form, and is 
deeply indented on all sides except the south, where 
the coast forms an almost unbroken line. There are 
several large bays on the coast, but by far the most 
important is the double bay formed by the opposite 
sides of the peninsula on which the capital, Valetta, 
stands. In its early history Malta was held succes- 
sively by the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Romans. 
According to some writers Malta is thought to be the 
mythical island of Ogygia, where the nymph Calypso 
entertained the wandering Ulysses ; her grotto is still 
pointed out to tourists. The Apostle Paul was ship- 
wrecked on Malta in the year 62 A.D. 

Fruits, particularly figs and oranges, are abundant 
and are of an excellent quality. The blood orange, 
which is the boast of the island, is most delicious. It 
is produced b}^ grafting the slips of the common orange 
on a pomegranate stock. The pulp inclines to the color 
of red, but not so much in mass as intermixed in streaks ; 
and hence its name. The blood oranges sell, in Valetta, 
for twice as much as the best of the common varieties. 

Malta is a British fortress ; the harbor is defended 
by two forts, St. Angelo and St. Elmo, and, though 
very different from Gibraltar, it is perhaps as impreg- 
nable. In the case of the latter, nature has done her 
utmost, while in Malta art has exhausted her resources 
for defense. A bird's-eye view of the island compre- 



310 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



hends a mighty array of fortifications, the very names 
of which it would be tiresome to enumerate. 

Vaietta appears to be a very ancient city, and yet its 
age is little more than three hundred years. This ap- 
pearance is owing partly to the style of architecture, 




MALTA. 



and partly to the nature of the building material, which 
is a soft, crumbling freestone, that, when first quarried, 
seems totally -unfit for permanent structures. On ex- 
posure to the air it hardens, especially on the surface. 
The houses of the island are, in general, lofty and 
majestic in appearance. The roofs form a flat terrace, 
and are used as places of promenade and observation. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 311 



The windows are few and narrow, and resemble the 
loopholes of a castle. Those on the lower floor are 
heavily barred on the outside, which gives a prisonlike 
look to the edifices. These bars are not to protect the 
glass, but to keep out burglars, a fact which does not 
speak very well for the character of the people. 

The balconies form a curious feature of the Maltese 
houses. Some of them are very uncouth, but their 
oddness does not make them seem out of place. The 
supporting stonework is fantastically carved, and the 
frame above is painted with various colors, as green, 
red, and blue. Some of them are the size of small 
parlors. They are neatly finished within, ornamented 
with pictures and flowers, and furnished with chairs 
and table. Members of the family spend whole hours 
in them, and receive their visitors there. 

The people are a hardy, capable race, but very poor 
and ignorant, and many of them are without regular 
employment. Not Valetta only, but all Malta, swarms 
like a beehive, and a large number of the people are 
without money or habitations. Hundreds of them have 
no other bed than the cold, hard pavement. The men, 
as a rule, are sparely built and a little under the me- 
dium height, but very active and muscular. Their 
complexions, naturally swarthy, are made still darker 
from their wearing caps without visors. Their color 
is similar to that of the people in the Barbary States, 
and their short crisp hair and rather flat noses would 
indicate a similar origin. 

When abroad, the women draw over their dress a 
sort of black robe, and, in place of a bonnet, cover their 



312 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



heads with a black silk mantle, which hangs down over 
the shoulders ; the part which covers the head is pro- 
vided with a piece of whalebone, inserted in the hem, 
which holds it in position and keeps it from dropping 

over the eyes. On 
Sunday, when hun- 
dreds of women are 
out, the streets wear 
a funereal look. 

The religion of 
the island is Roman 
Catholic, and fully 
one third of the prop- 
erty of all Malta is 
held by the priests. 
The English, by 
whom the island is 
governed, have never 
interfered with the 
religious faith, forms, 

A STREET IN MALTA. OT USa g eS ° f the 

people. 

Six miles west of Valetta, near the center of Malta, 
stands the old capital of the country, Citta Vecchia. 
It has a venerable appearance, its gray walls and towers 
crowning a commanding eminence. We ascend to it 
by a rugged path, not unlike the channel of a dried, 
mountain torrent, and enter the city through a barrier 
of considerable strength. 

We have come, as all others do, to visit the famous 
catacombs. They are very extensive, and their origin 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 313 



is lost in antiquity. It is probable that the object at 
first was simply to quarry stone for the city, but later 
they were used as receptacles for the dead, and as 
retreats, and even abodes, by the living. The early 
Christians fled to them for refuge. Afterward, the 
members of sects called heretical sought asylums in 
them from persecution ; and, in later times, the in- 
habitants of Malta were glad to fly to them for safety 
from the attacks of the Goths, Vandals, Moors, and 
Turks. 

Provided with tapers, we descend into the labyrinth 
by a narrow flight of stairs, and take especial care to 
follow our guide closely. We enter first a gallery, 
narrow and gloomy, pierced on either side with open- 
ings into ancient sepulchers resembling the mouths of 
ovens. They are of different sizes, made to accommo- 
date every age from the infant to the adult. We next 
traverse a long passage, which opens occasionally into 
small chambers, the sepulchers of which are superior 
to those which we have just examined. 

Some of them are cut in such a way as to raise 
the head of the body three or four inches, the rocky 
pillow being carved so as to fit the form of both the 
head and the neck. Proceed as far as we may, we see 
in advance of us long, dismal passages stretching be- 
yond into the darkness. The air in these mansions of 
the dead is so close and stifling that we hasten from 
their melancholy solitudes, glad to come forth once more 
into the sunshine of a summer day. 



314 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

THE IONIAN ISLANDS. 

The Ionian Islands are found in the Mediterranean 
Sea off the west coast of Greece and Turkey. They 
consist of seven large islands with several smaller 
islets. The united area is nearly eleven hundred 
square miles. The population numbers two hundred 
and thirty thousand, and is composed of one third 
Jews, one third a mixed race, and one third Greeks. 

The surface of the islands is mountainous and is 
mostly covered with heath, but in some of the larger 
islands there are fertile plains. About half the land 
is cultivated, and yields barley, wheat, and other 
grains. Wine is made chiefly in the four largest 
islands. Olive oil is prepared mostly in Corfu and 
Zante. Currants, cotton, and flax are also produced. 
Shipbuilding is an important industry. 

As a group the islands are rich in natural advantages. 
Although the soil of all may be characterized as barren, 
still the vine will grow when planted, even in loose 
stones, and the labor expended is repaid a hundred 
fold. With corn, wine, and oil in abundance, having 
coasts indented with innumerable small bays and creeks, 
and situated in the highway of the European nations, 
the islands exert considerable influence on Greece, with 
which they combined in 1863, and formed the United 
Kingdom. 

It is said that Corfu is the most beautiful, Cepha- 
lonia the largest, Santa Maura the wildest, Zante the 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 315 




THE GATE OF CORFU. 



316 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



prettiest, and Ithaca the most romantic of the Ionian 
Islands. This last island is believed to be the one 
described by Homer, and selected by him as the home 
of the wise Ulysses. 

The views of Corfu, obtained on approaching it from 
the sea, are extremely grand. But, after visiting Zante, 
and seeing its excellent drainage, and taking note of 
the industry which has caused the Cephalonians to 
cultivate every nook of their Black Mountain, one will 
not be surprised that the neighboring island, so much 
more richly endowed by nature, should be so inferior 
through the shiftlessness of men. 

The landing at Corfu, which is the principal town on 
the island of the same name, has a low, narrow, and 
dirty entrance, and is crowded with men and animals. 

Its architecture presents a most conglomerate appear- 
ance. On leaving the citadel, one sees the palace. 
Facing this is the esplanade, skirted on one side by a 
shady walk and on the other by a rather handsome 
row of houses. The town on the north side ends in the 
market place under Fort Neuf, where all merchandise 
is landed. The encircling street is called the " Line of 
Wall." 

The Jews still live separate in separate quarters, 
which in former times were closed with ponderous 
gates and guarded with detachments of soldiers, — so 
hostile was the feeling of the other inhabitants toward 
this much-persecuted race. 

The average Corfu peasant loves to lounge away his 
time in the market place, eager to hear every trifling 
piece of news. He is utterly devoid of ambition and 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 317 



is extremely lazy, being satisfied to subsist upon what 
nature provides for him. Bread, salt fish, and the olive 
form his daily food. The oil of the olive gives him 
light, and its wood supplies him with fuel. His wife 
weaves cloth from coarse cotton or brown goat's hair, 
and thus supplies him with sufficient clothing. The 
greatest exertion he ever makes is when he goes to 
town once a week. This journey he accomplishes on 
the back of his faithful mule, while his patient wife 
trudges along behind on foot, carrying the household 
bundle. 

Besides Sunday, the Greek Church enjoins the keep- 
ing of numerous holidays, which are usually the saints' 
days of some favorite church. On such days, the people 
assemble and make presents to their priests. The chief 
festival occurs on Ascension Day. Many booths are 
then erected throughout the olive groves. Jars of wine 
are kept in constant circulation, and lambs roasted 
whole are quickly divided among the hungry people. 
After the feasting, the dancing begins, and it is then 
that the ancient native costumes of the women are worn 
and are seen to the greatest advantage. 

In one village the women wear blue satin jackets, 
having open bosoms covered with white embroidered 
cambric. The dress skirt, also of white cambric, is cut 
short and embroidered, and shows to excellent advan- 
tage the velvet slippers which are adorned with large 
silver buckles. 

The women of another village wear black and red 
jackets, with red stockings and black velvet slippers 
with gold buckles. In each village the women wear 



318 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



the style of dress adopted by their society ; and, no 
matter what it may be, it always shows off well in con- 
trast with that of the men, which is made of brown 
goat's wool. These festivals are the only occasions on 
which the women are allowed to mix freely in public. 

Funerals are conducted in a manner quite different 
from our own. On the way to the grave, the priest, 
dressed in his gayest robes, walks on ahead, chanting 
the service. He is followed by several young boys 
carrying lights, banners, and images. Then comes the 
open bier, the deceased being dressed in his best clothes. 
The mourners and friends follow. The Greek cemetery 
is clean and well kept, the abode of the dead forming, 
in this respect, a striking contrast to that of the living. 

The peasant's home usually consists of two dark 
rooms on the ground floor. A large part of one of 
these is taken up by an oven, while the corners serve 
as receptacles for all sorts of things. The other room, 
which has but one small opening for the admission of 
light and air, is used as a sleeping room by the women 
and children. Over this room is a sort of loft, with a 
floor of loose reeds, which is reached by means of a 
ladder, and is used as a sleeping room by the men, who, 
wrapped up in their cloaks, sleep in any corner they 
find convenient. 

But all of the people are not as poor as this. The 
house of the farmer, though not differing much exter- 
nally from that of the peasant, is really much more com- 
modious and much better furnished. The entry serves 
as both cellar and general storeroom, and a score of 
large casks for wine and oil are ranged along each side. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 319 



A proper stairway leads into the upper story, which is" 
divided into two rooms. That devoted to the women 
is of large size. Besides the large bed, which is about 
seven feet square, it contains several old Venetian 
chests, in which are the household linen and the cos- 
tumes worn only on feast days. These chests are orna- 
mented with rich carving. Two mirrors, several pictures 
of Greek saints, and the wedding wreath of the house- 
wife adorn the walls. There are tables, benches, and 
chairs, and the room appears both comfortable and sub- 
stantial. 



CHAPTER XXXII. 
CRETE AND THE GRECIAN ARCHIPELAGO. 

Crete lies in the Mediterranean Sea south of the 
Grecian Archipelago, from which it is separated by the 
Cretan Sea. It has a length of one hundred and sixty 
miles, a varying width of from six to forty miles, an 
area of 3300 square miles, and a population of 294,000. 
It is the chief island between the southern extremities 
of Greece and Asia Minor. 

A chain of mountains extends throughout the length 
of the island, and Mount Ida, near its center, is nearly 
eight thousand feet in height. Cultivated trees are to 
be seen everywhere, especially the olive and the orange. 
The fruit of the latter is so fine that it is famous 
throughout the Archipelago. But of vegetables there 
is a great scarcity, and the upper parts of the mountains 



020 THE WORLD AND iTS PEOPLE. 



are mostly bare. Other products are lemons, tobacco, 
raisins, cotton, honey, oil, wine, and silk. 

Besides the classical interest which attaches to Crete, 
from its heroic and mythological associations, and from 
its haying been a chosen seat of the arts and sciences, 
there is the higher interest which arises on account of 
its having been one of the first places in the world to 
receive the Gospel. The Christian faith was intro- 
duced into the island by St. Paul, and his disciple 
Titus was the first bishop of Crete. 

But a visit to the island at the present day leaves 
a melancholy impression on the mind. Poverty exists 
everywhere, and many of the people do not have 
enough to eat. During the three years' insurrection, 
which began in 1865, many villages were plundered 
and burned. A few of the people are Mohammedans, 
but the great majority are Christians. They make 
few complaints, and are not accustomed to begging. 
No doubt misrule and oppression have had much to do 
with reducing them to their present condition. 

For ten centuries Crete repelled all foreign aggres- 
sion, but was at length subdued by the Romans, who 
subsequently ceded it to the Marquis of Montferrat, by 
whom it was sold to the Venetians in 1204, when it 
obtained the name of Candia. It was afterward taken 
by the Turks, in whose possession it remained till 1830, 
when it was ceded to Mehemet Ali, viceroy of Egypt, 
who in turn was obliged, in 1811, to restore it to 
Turkey. The tithe is the only regular impost, but the 
manner in which it is collected greatly increases its op- 
pressiveness. Much injury has also been done lately 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 321 



by the introduction of a debased coinage, first by the 
government, and next by the merchants. Added to 
these, are the barbarities perpetrated by the Pasha's 
troops, which, if not thoroughly attested, would be quite 
incredible. 

In 1868 the Cretans rebelled against Turkish rule, 
and as a result Turkey agreed to give Crete practical 
autonomy. Her promises were not fulfilled, and in 
the spring of 1897 trouble broke out again. Greece 
came to the defense of Crete, and, for a while, made a 
noble and heroic stand, of which ancient Greece herself 
might have been proud. But the Greek army soon met 
with disastrous reverses, and, in a short but active 
campaign in Thessaly, was totally defeated by the 
Turks, and compelled to pay the whole expenses of the 
war. The affairs of Crete were then submitted to 
the ruling powers of Europe for arbitration. 

The majority of the Cretans are a little above the 
medium height. Their hair and eyes are dark, and 
their faces oval, with pointed chins, aquiline noses, and 
full cheeks. The dress of the men " consists of long 
boots, baggy blue trowsers gathered at the knee, a red 
sash, a blue waistcoat corresponding to the trowsers, 
and a jacket. Over this is worn a short capote, usually 
white, with a hood to cover the head. Sometimes a 
skullcap is used instead. 

The iEgean Sea, or Grecian Archipelago, is the name 
given to that part of the Mediterranean Sea lying be- 
tween Asia Minor on the east and Greece and part of 
Turkey on the west. Its length from north to south is 



322 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



about four hundred miles, and its breadth two hundred. 
The sea in general is very deep. In many places less 
than a mile from land, no bottom has been found with 
a two -hundred fathom line. 

Some of the islands are of volcanic origin, while others 
are composed of white marble. Most of them are high, 
having an altitude of fifteen hundred to eighteen hun- 
dred feet. They are divided into two groups, in one 
of which they lie in the form of a circle, while in the 
other they are scattered somewhat in a line. The former 
lie off the eastern coast of Greece, while the latter skirt 
the west coast of Asia Minor. The first group, contain- 
ing seven principal islands and many more of inferior 
size, belongs to Greece. Of the second group, there are 
twelve islands of considerable size and many small ones; 
these all belong to Turkey. 

Delos, Rheneia, and Tenos are three of the islands in 
the first group and occupy a position in the northeast- 
ern part. In Greek legends, Delos is noted as the 
birthplace of Apollo. The ruins of the Temple of 
Apollo are still visible, forming a vast heap of marble 
fragments, columns, bases, and entablatures. 

Both Delos and Rheneia are destitute of trees, and 
on the latter we find an ancient necropolis containing 
the graves of those whose bodies were removed from 
Delos at the time of the P'eloponnesian War. It is over 
half a mile long, and is a scene of wild desolation. 
Broken stones lay strewn about in all directions, inter- 
spersed with sides and lids of sarcophagi. 

The island of Tenos lies north of Delos, and a town 
of the same name occupies its southern extremity. It 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 323 



is one of the most attractive and fertile of the group ; 
is well watered by springs, and has an excellent climate. 
Tenos produces much barley, silk, wine, figs, oranges, 
and honey. Its mountains furnish fine marble of vari- 
ous colors. Silk stockings and gloves are extensively 
manufactured. 

For purposes of cultivation, the mountains of Tenos 
are carved into terraces, giving evidence of vast labor 
employed in their construction. The people are very 
industrious, and their villages have a nourishing ap- 
pearance, the whitewashed houses being surrounded by 
olive, orange, and fig trees. The flat roofs and trim 
gardens are like those of northern Italy ; and this is 
not surprising, since the island was held by the Italians 
for nearly five hundred years. The people are ex- 
tremely superstitious, and have both a Greek archbishop 
and a Roman Catholic bishop. Population, 22,000. 

The rugged island of Scio, near the coast of Asia 
Minor, belongs to Turkey. Before the Christian era 
it was famous as a center of literature and art. It is 
one of the several spots claimed as the birthplace of 
Homer. The present population is about 36,000. 

Patmos and Rhodes, the former one of the smallest, 
and the latter one of the largest, are two of the best 
known islands of the second group. Patmos is famed 
as being the place of the banishment of St. John. 
At the present day it is one of the least accessible of 
the islands of the Archipelago, since, on account of its 
remote position and the unproductiveness of its soil, 



324 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



steamers never touch there. It is a bare, irregularly 
shaped mass of rock, twenty-eight miles in circumfer- 
ence, having on its east side a deep indentation which 
forms a secure harbor. It is almost divided in two 
near the center; for in this part, within a distance of 
little more than half a mile of each other, are two isth- 
muses only a few hundred yards wide, and rising but 
slightly above the level of the sea. The southern half 
of the island belongs to the monks, and the other to 
the civil community. 

The population numbers about four thousand, and is 
composed of Greeks. They are mostly a seafaring 
people, engaged in the sponge fisheries. The prin- 
cipal town takes the name of Patmos and is sometimes 
called St. John. It consists of about two hundred 
houses, and stands on the edge of a mountain, being 
reached by a steep and rugged ascent. On a height 
above the town stands a large convent surmounted by 
several irregular towers. A neighboring grotto is the 
supposed abode where the apostle John saw the vision 
which he has recorded in the book of Revelation. 

Rhodes has a length of forty- six miles, and an area of 
five hundred and seventy square miles. Its inhabit- 
ants, nearly thirty thousand in number, are principally 
Turks, Greeks, and Jews. It is traversed by a moun- 
tain chain covered with forests, which have long sup- 
plied good timber for shipbuilding. Its valleys are 
well watered and are very fertile. Its principal ex- 
ports are wax, honey, wine, figs, oranges, lemons, pome- 
granates, and manufactured silk. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 325 




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326 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



Rhodes is governed by a Pasha, whose jurisdiction 
extends over the whole group. Its chief city has the 
same name, and is built at the northeast extremity of 
the island, thirteen miles from the nearest promontory 
of Asia Minor. It is inclosed by walls built by the 
Knights of St. John. 

As a commercial station, Rhodes occupies an admira- 
ble position, on account of its nearness to the mainland, 
and of its being a natural point of departure for Egypt 
and the East. It is said that " in ancient times it was 
surpassed in grandeur by no other city, and hardly 
equaled by any." Its commerce, its political institu- 
tions, its school of oratory, and its school of sculpture 
enjoyed a world-wide renown. It was the residence of 
many great men. Tiberius chose Rhodes as his place 
of voluntary exile, and it was here that Cicero studied. 
But little remains of the magnificence of those times 
except the Hellenic foundations of the moles, and the 
many sepulchral monuments of gray marble which are 
to be seen in the citv and suburbs. 

The military history of Rhodes is full of interest ; it 
has withstood some remarkable sieges. That of 1522 
was, perhaps, the most notable, when four thousand five 
hundred soldiers and six hundred knights withstood for 
five months the Ottoman fleet of three hundred ships 
and one hundred thousand soldiers, commanded by 
Suleiman I. " This resistance is one of the most glori- 
ous exploits of martial Christianity." The knights 
were granted an honorable capitulation, and with four 
hundred inhabitants they abandoned the island, which 
since that time has belonged to the Turks. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 327 



Starting from the suburb on the northern side of the 
city, we have on our left the first harbor, that of the 
galleys, which was outside the walls, but was defended 
by a strong round tower at the extremity of the mole, 
called the tower of St. Nicholas. Some believe that 
this fort occupies the site of the famous Colossus of 
Rhodes, one of the seven wonders of the world; but 
other authorities claim that the statue stood on the low 
ground at the southwest corner of this harbor. This 
statue was one hundred and five feet high, and repre- 
sented the Rhoclian sun god, Helios. It commemorated 
the successful defense of Rhodes in 303 B.C., was twelve 
years in completing, and stood 66 years, being at last 
thrown down by an earthquake. 

We next pass through the gate of St. Paul. A figure 
of the saint stands above the gate, holding in one hand 
a volume of the gospel, and in the other a sword. This 
gate does not lead into the city itself, but into the cir- 
cuit of walls which incloses the great harbor. Through 
the wall which borders this harbor, the city is entered 
by the finest of all the gates, that of St. Catharine. 
It is surmounted by a figure of the saint standing 
between St. Peter and John the Baptist. Immedi- 
ately within this, on the right hand as we enter, is the 
cross wall separating that part of the town in which 
dwelt the ancient order of Knights, and which occu- 
pied about one third of the area of the town, from 
the part occupied by the citizens. Taking our way 
through this latter section, and following a line of 
streets which cross it transversely, we have the Jewish 
quarter on our left. Many of the handsomest of the 



328 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



old dwellings are to be found here. They are solidly 
built and elaborately decorated. 

In the other portion of the city, by far the most in- 
teresting part, is the Street of the Knights. It descends 
in a straight line by a gradual slope toward the port. 
The buildings on either side are of rough brownstone, 
with projecting latticed frames of wood, thrown out by 
the Turkish families that dwell there. This street 
contains the Priories, which were the headquarters 
and places of meeting of the different nationalities of 
Knights. Their escutcheons and those of the most dis- 
tinguished men may, in many cases, be seen on the 
facades. 

Throughout the island the courtyards, in which the 
houses are built, are often covered with tessellated 
pavements of pebbles. . In some of the dwellings the 
rooms are floored with them, and the patterns are often 
elaborate and beautiful. The walls are frequently hung 
with the plates of the Rhodian ware, which collectors 
prize so highly. These plates are regarded by the 
people as heirlooms in their families. 

In some parts of the island the villages are built with 
curious uniformity. Every doorway is surmounted by 
a pointed arch, and the window and chimney of each 
house occupy the same relative position. 

Cyprus is the easternmost island in the Mediterra- 
nean and the third in size. It has a length of one hun- 
dred and forty-eight miles, and a breadth of forty, with 
an area of three thousand seven hundred miles, and a 
population of two hundred and nine thousand. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 329 



The whole island is occupied by a range of mountains 
known in heathen mythology as the third range of 
Olympus, whose two culminating points, Santa Croce 
(Olympus) and Thrados, are seven thousand feet high. 
On the northeast side of the island the slopes are steep 
and rugged, and one of the elevated valleys contains 
Nicosia, the modern capital of Cyprus. The slopes 
are even bolder on the south side, and present a deeply 
serrated outline with thickly wooded sides, furrowed 
by deep valleys. In the southwest the mountains yield 
excellent asbestos ; also talc, red jasper, copper, silver, 
gold, and emeralds. The name of the island is sup- 
posed to have been derived from the Greek word 
(kupros) meaning copper. 

Cyprus is deficient in water, having but one river of 
any importance. The climate is in general healthful. 
Temporary blindness is sometimes caused by the sun's 
reflection from the white chalky soil; and to avoid sun- 
stroke the natives wrap their heads in thick shawls. 

About one third of the cultivable surface of Cyprus 
is under tillage. Of vegetable products, cotton and 
corn are the most important. Excellent wheat, barley, 
tobacco, and madder are raised. Silk is produced 
abundantly in several vicinities, and sponge fishing is 
a prominent industry. Wine is the most noted pro- 
duction of the island, and is of excellent quality. 

The women of some of the towns and villages do 
beautiful embroidery, and make silk net which will 
bear comparison with the finest European lace. They 
also weave some cotton, woolen, and linen fabrics. 
Good morocco leather is made in Nicosia ; and calicoes, 






330 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



imported from England, are here dyed in brilliant colors 
and exported to Syria, Smyrna, and Constantinople. 
On the west side of the island the peasantry distil 
rose, orange, and lavender water, and myrtle and lauda- 
num oil. The island of Cyprus is under British rule, 
being governed by a resident High Commissioner, 
assisted by an Executive Council. For many years 
Cyprus has been explored and excavated for relics of 
antiquity, and some remarkable specimens have been 
found here. In 1845, a bas-relief on which was sculp- 
tured the figure of Sargon, king of Assyria 722-705 
B.C., was found in a good state of preservation. This 
monument is at present in the Royal Museum of 
Berlin. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 
ISLANDS ON THE EAST AFRICAN COAST. 

More than two hundred miles from the east coast 
of southern Africa, in the Indian Ocean, lies a large 
island called Madagascar. It was discovered in the 
latter part of the thirteenth century by a Venetian 
traveler, and was valued by European nations chiefly 
as a vast hunting ground for slaves until 1816, when 
the trade was suppressed. From three thousand to 
four thousand were shipped annually from its ports. 

The greatest length of the island is one thousand 
miles and its greatest breadth three hundred and fifty. 
Its area is estimated at two hundred and thirty thousand 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 331 



square miles. At the time of its discovery, the natives 
called their island by a name which means " in the 
center of the sea." 

Through the country from north to south extends an 
elevated tract of land, rising by successive terraces to 
the center. The highest points reach an elevation of 
ten thousand feet. This plateau is surrounded on all 
sides, except the southeast, by a strip of low land from 
twenty to fifty miles wide, some parts of which are 
actually below the level of the sea, from which it is 
protected only by the beach thrown up by the surf. 
It is also surrounded by a forest which extends to the 
low plains, and, in some cases, to the sea. 

No country in the world is better watered than 
Madagascar. But few of its rivers are navigable ; for 
during the first part of their course they fall rapidly, 
and, when they come to the lowlands, they spread out 
into lakes, and reach the sea only with sluggish streams. 

On the low coasts, often running parallel with the 
sea, are chains of lakes formed in some cases by the 
overflowing of the barred rivers, and in others by 
the sea. In the interior of the island several large 
lakes are reported to exist. 

The heat on the coasts is often excessive, and rains 
are frequent there, but on the highlands of Ankova the 
thermometer seldom rises above eiglury-five degrees. 

Madagascar is rich in vegetable productions. Among 
the most important trees is one whose leaves are made 
into a kind of cloth, and from whose bark is extracted 
a drink resembling spruce beer. There are many kinds 
of gum trees, one of which yields a gum greatly valued 



332 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



as a powerful cement. Another tree produces a highly- 
fragrant allspice. Dyewoods, fig, ebony, orange, peach, 
and mulberry trees also grow here. Coffee, which has 

been introduced, 
thrives well. 

There are few 
formidable wild 
animals in Mada- 
gascar. Its beasts 
of prey are con- 
fined to a small 
leopard, a wild 
dog, a wild cat, 
and a species of 
fox. Crocodiles 
are numerous in 
the rivers. There 
are many kinds 
of snakes, some 
of which grow 
to a great size. 
Apes are found in 
the woods. But 
the wealth of the 
country consists 
in its cattle, which are mostly humped like those of 
(ndia. 

Coal, rock salt, sulphur, and copper are all found in 
the island. Excellent iron abounds in several parts 
of the country. The natives take the ore and put it in 
pits or kilns covered over with clay. Near the edges 




A HOVA WOMAN AND CHILD. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 333 



of these they place hollow tree trunks, and, by means 
of pistons placed in these and worked by hand, they 
provide the necessary blast for the smelting of the ore. 

The government, until recently, has been a sort of 
monarchical despotism, modified by changes in the reli- 
gion and habits of the court under the teaching of 
Christianity. A body of judges used to sit constantly 
in public to hear complaints and to administer rude 
justice, not according to any written law, but rather 
by traditional usage. There are twenty-five tribes, 
each having its own chief, subject, in old days, to the 
monarch. Recently the French, having claimed rights 
under a treaty made in 1885, have taken Antananarivo, 
the capital, and have established a protectorate, which 
gives them virtual possession of the island. 

The name of the capital, Antananarivo, signifies " the 
city of a thousand." It is located upon the summit 
and slopes of a hill which rises from a plain to the 
height of five hundred feet. The houses are built 
upon terraces. There are but three or four streets in 
the city ; from these streets, branch innumerable path- 
ways leading between the houses. They are so narrow 
that in many places it is impossible for two people to 
meet and pass each other. 

The hill has three elevated points. The highest of 
these is called by a name which means "hill for observ- 
ing." Near to this one is "the crown," or "the top of 
the town," on which the palaces stand. The third, the 
"whitehill," is the site of a memorial church. 

The royal palaces are the most conspicuous build- 
ings in the town. They are grouped together in a large 



334 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



courtyard, and are about a dozen in number. The 
principal entrance is on the north side, and consists of 
a picturesque gateway, forming a triumphal archway, 
which is approached by a massive flight of stone steps. 
On each side of the archway are Romano-Doric col- 
umns. In the center above the arch is a peculiar square 




TATTOOING A CHIEF, MADAGASCAR. 



panel with a large mirror set in it, and directly above 
this is a figure of the national falcon made of copper. 

Near to the great palace is the palace church. Its 
tower rises to the height of 112 feet, and, at the time of 
its completion, it was the only building in the country 
whose roof was covered with slates, 

The population of Madagascar has sprung from differ- 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 335 



ent races. The fairest race, the Hovas, is the ruling 
one, and has established its sway over nearly the whole 
of the island. The Hovas are distinguished from the 
other people by their light olive complexion, the 
absence of thick lips, and by their activity. They 
are well made," but rather below the medium height. 
The next race in importance is the blackest, and lives 
on the western coast. 

There are no roads in Madagascar, but merely tracks 
which may be traveled by men or cattle. The people 
are accustomed to make long journeys on foot. Men 
employed by the government to carry letters or dis- 
patches acquire wonderful powers of speed and endur- 
ance. Many of them are able to travel two hundred 
miles in four days, over rough and rocky hills often 
slippery with mud, across unbridged streams, and 
through dense forests and deep sloughs. 

The national carriage consists of two poles of tough, 
light wood, held together by iron rods with nuts and 
screws. On the hindmost of these rods, and to each of 
the poles, is fastened a framework of iron, which is 
covered with leather and stuffed, and has a back against 
which one may lean. In front is a footrest made of 
wood, and at each side are pockets for holding small 
articles. There is no cover overhead, but a large sun- 
shade is fastened to one pole, and a piece of canvas, 
which serves as a protection against rain, is secured to 
the other. 

Four runners carry this on their shoulders. When 
well trained, they keep step so well that the motion is 
not unpleasant. If the distance is short, two extra men 



336 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



run alongside to relieve two of the bearers, who in turn 
relieve the other two. When the distance is great, 
eight men are required, the two sets changing off with 
each other at regular intervals and without stopping. 
From six to seven hours is an ordinary day's work, but 
the bearers frequently travel eight or nine without 
inconvenience. 

Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean east of 
Madagascar, has an area of seven hundred square miles 
and a population of three hundred and seventy thou- 
sand. 

Port Louis, the capital and the only town, lies in an 
extensive valley ; and as our ship approaches the outer- 
most anchorage a view of unsurpassed beauty presents 
itself. Far away in the distance is the well-known 
Peter Botte Mountain; just behind the city rises the 
majestic Pouce, wooded to its summit; to the east lie 
the gentle slopes of Citadel Hill, bastion crowned ; and 
to the west, abrupt and rugged, Long Mountain Bluff 
rears its signal-topped head. The city covers an area 
of ten square miles, and has a population of sixty-two 
thousand. It has a fine natural harbor, capable of 
affording anchorage to vessels of heavy burden, which, 
even during hurricane weather, can ride safely. 

The entrance to the channel is through coral reefs, 
well marked out by buoys, and has an average depth of 
thirty-five feet, and within the harbor of fourteen feet. 
It is well defended by forts George and William, and 
the citadel, which stands back of the city, also overlooks 
and commands it. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 337 



The streets of Port Louis are many of them macadam- 
ized, and are kept fairly clean. Several rivulets flow 
through the town. In wet weather they become rush- 
ing torrents, bringing down masses of mud and debris. 
In dry weather they become almost stagnant, and add 
largely to the malarious condition of the city. 

In the interior the houses are very plain, and consist 
of drawing-rooms and dining-rooms and a few sleeping 
apartments, all of which have the strong Z-shaped bar 
on the outside of the hurricane shutters. Nearly all 
of the houses have small pavilions, which contain two 
or three bedrooms for guests. 

Chausse'e is the principal street for shops, and is in 
the oldest part of the toAvn. The buildings are wooden, 
and are old-fashioned-looking on the outside, contrast- 
ing strongly with the interiors, where all indicates the 
latest Parisian fashion. You may buy any article of 
a lady's toilette, from a Lyons silk dress to a plain 
English calico. Jewelers' shops shine resplendent 
with gold and gems, especially diamonds, and you 
wonder how so small a place can find purchasers for 
such costly articles. 

A curious feature of this and other streets is the 
juxtaposition of one of these elegant magazines with a 
Chinese store retailing such articles as charcoal, salt 
fish, cocoanut oil, rice, wood, and lard. The continua- 
tion of Chausse'e is called Royal Street, and it extends 
nearly to the northern limit of the city. Most of the 
shops here are built of stone. 

The division between the two parts of this street is 
made by the Place cl'Arms, which stands in front of the 



338 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



quays, and is shaded by three kinds of trees, one of 
which is the flamboyant of Madagascar. This tree is 
covered with magnificent scarlet, yellow, and white 
flowers, which, lying against the soft delicate green of 
the foliage, form a bouquet of transcendent beauty. 
Seats are placed under the trees, and there planters, 
merchants, and women discuss the affairs of the island. 

Large cages of native birds are displayed in the 
markets, conspicuous among which are the pretty scar- 
let cardinals with their mates, and greenish yellow 
canaries that sing so sweetly. These are all offered 
for sixpence a pair. Beautiful foreign birds are also 
for sale, brought from India, Australia, New Guinea, 
and Brazil. These command large prices. 

Perhaps few places in the world can boast such a 
variety of fish, many of which are of gorgeous colors. 
The most esteemed are the mullets, Dame Berry, 
cordonnier, pike, and eels. Fine crabs and crayfish 
are abundant. Shellfish are sold in large quantities. 
Large sharks, rays, and other monsters are sliced and 
sold to the natives. 

At a distance of seven miles from Port Louis are the 
celebrated Botanical Gardens, founded in 1768. In 
them are growing the nutmeg, clove, and other spice 
trees, beside a large variety of useful and ornamental 
trees, obtained with great trouble and at large expense 
from both hemispheres. On Sundays and holidays, this 
place is a favorite resort of the city people, who enjoy 
its shady avenues and thatched pavilions. 

St. Pierre's well-known romance, "Paul and Vir- 
ginia," has spread a sort of halo round Mauritius for 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 339 



nearly a century. The two tombs shown as theirs are 
two commonplace brick and mortar structures. They 
are situated in what was once a fine garden. A little 
rivulet flows between them, and they are shaded by 
stately palms and feathery bamboos. 

Reunion, also called Bourbon, one of the Masca- 
rene Group, lies in the Indian Ocean, four hundred 
miles east of Madagascar. It has an area of nine 
hundred and sixty-five square miles, and a population 
of one hundred and seventy thousand. It forms a 
French colony. The capital is St. Denis. The island 
is of volcanic origin and is elliptical in form. 

It is traversed from north to south by a chain of 
mountains which divides it into two portions, differing 
in climate and productions. The highest summit is 
that of an extinct volcano, 10,100 feet high. Three 
other peaks are respectively 9500, 7300, and 7218 feet, 
the last being an active volcano. There are many 
narrow valleys, but no extensive plains. 

Reunion was counted at one time one of the healthi- 
est spots in the Avorld. But the climate has recently 
undergone a great change, and serious diseases attack 
every foreigner after a residence of four or five years. 

The prevailing winds drive the rain clouds to the 
east side of the island, and often originate the most 
terrific hurricanes. On such occasions the waves, usu- 
ally three to four feet high, rise to fifty feet in height, 
and rage with inestimable fury. The sky changes to 
a copper color, the temperature rises to its maximum 
intensity, the barometer sinks to its lowest point, rain 



340 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



falls in torrents, and the wind blows with resistless 
might. Reunion has no good port, and its anchorage 
is very insecure. In one year, eleven large vessels 
were wrecked near its shores. 

The chief products of the island are sugar, coffee, 
cloves, maize, rice, tobacco, dyewoods, and saltpeter. 

Zanzibar is an island on the east coast of Africa, near 
the sixth degree of south latitude ; it formerly belonged 
to the Sultan of Muscat, but is now a British pro- 
tectorate. It is separated from the mainland by a strait 
twenty-five miles wide, thinly beset with coral reefs 
and islets. This island, like all others near the coast, 
is of coral formation. It has been raised above its 
original level and in some places attains a height of 
two hundred and fifty feet. The soil is extremely 
rich, and the greater part of the island is still in its 
natural state. The mango, banana, papaw, plantain, 
and various Indian fruits grow wild, with several 
species of palm and the stately cotton tree. The 
natives cultivate rice and millet (which grows to a 
height of ten feet), but the cultivated fields are few 
in number. 

The plantations of the Sultan, or Seyyid, contain not 
less than five hundred thousand clove trees, the produce 
of which is excellent. He has planted also nutmeg and 
cinnamon trees, obtaining his workmen from Mauritius 
and Reunion. 

There are few wild animals in Zanzibar. The interior 
thickets are occupied by wild hogs, and a few civet cats 
lurk about the villages. With the exception of the 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



341 



guinea fowl, wild birds are few. The ass is here the 
universal beast of burden. 

The principal towns are Zanzibar and Uzi. In travel- 
ing through the country between these towns, the stran- 
ger is agreeably surprised to find that the narrow roads 



^m^M, 




A FAKIR OF ZANZIBAR. 



are everywhere neatly fenced, like garden walks, with 
hedges of palma Christi or some other suitable plant. 

The city of Zanzibar is the principal commercial port 
on the eastern African seaboard ; it has a population of 
•thirty thousand, mostly blacks. The Central, or Fort, 
Quarter is the seat of government and of commerce. 



342 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



The material of which the houses are built is " coral- 
rag," a substance at once easily worked and durable. 
The best houses are on the Arab plan. A dark narrow 
entrance leads from the street, and the center of the 
tenements is a quadrangle. There are no shady trees, 
bright flowers, or green verdure as in similar houses in 
the southern part of Europe. Here the " Dar " is simply 
a dirty yard, paved or unpaved, generally encumbered 
with piles of wood or hides, and tenanted by dogs, 
poultry, donkeys, and lounging slaves. A steep, nar- 
row staircase of rough stone connects it with the first 
floor, the "noble quarter." There are galleries for the 
several stories, and doors opening upon the court admit 
light into the rooms. 

" Koranic sentences on slips of paper, fastened to the 
entrances, and an inscription cut in the wooden lintel, 
secure the house against witchcraft." Arabs here, as 
elsewhere, prefer long narrow rooms. The reception 
hall is usually on the ground floor. The protracted 
lines of walls and rows of arched and shallow niches 
are unbroken save by a few weapons. Pictures are 
almost unknown; chandeliers and mirrors are confined 
to the wealthy. What in our houses would be bald 
and barnlike, here suggests coolness and simplicity. 
A bright tinted carpet, a tasteful Persian rug for 
the dais, matting on the lower floor, a divan in the 
older houses, and a half dozen stiff-backed chairs of 
East Indian blackwoocl in the later ones, compose the 
upholstery of the Zanzibar "palazzo." 

* 
Sokotra lies off the eastern extremity of Africa in the 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 343 




344 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



Indian Ocean. It has an area of about fourteen hundred 
square miles and a population of ten thousand, mostly 
Bedouins, with some settled Arabs, negroes, and de- 
scendants of Portuguese. 

Its center is a chain of mountains, rising to the height 
of five thousand feet. Round this a low belt of land, 
two to four miles wide, skirts the sea. The climate is 
more temperate than on the adjacent continent. Among 
the products are aloes, various gums, tamarinds, tobacco, 
dates, millet, and ghee. Sokotra was formerly occupied 
by the Portuguese, but was annexed by Great Britain 
in 1886. 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

THE LACCADIVE AND MALDIVE ISLANDS. 

Between ten and twelve degrees north latitude, in 
the Indian Ocean, is a group of small islands of coral 
formation known as the Laccadive Islands. They are 
so low that, were it not for the cocoa palms with which 
they are so thickly studded, they would scarcely be 
discernible. The soil of all of them consists of a light, 
white, coral sand, and beneath this, a few feet down, is 
a stratum of coral. 

Of the eight inhabited islands, four belong to Great 
Britain, and the other four to the estate of a native 
ruler. The people are of mixed Hindu and Arab 
descent, and are Mohammedans. 

Kiltan Island, which belongs to the British, is typical 



AUSTRALIA AND THE iSLANDS OF THE SEA. 345 



of the other Laccadive atolls. It is a long, oval reef 
inclosing the usnal lagoon, with one entrance at the 
northwest corner. The reef is surrounded by a shelv- 
ing bank, varying in breadth from one eighth of a mile 
to a mile. Beyond the edge of this bank the line drops 
at once into very deep water. The lagoon is very shallow 
and nearly dry at low water, and the island is covered 
with cocoa palms from one end to the other. This tree 
yields its ripe fruit week after week throughout the 
whole year, and is highly prized by the natives. They 
deem trees which ripen their fruit only once a year as 
rather unsatisfactory freaks of nature, and therefore set 
no great value upon the trees which bear breadfruit, 
limes, horse-radish, and plantains, all of which have 
been introduced into the islands. 

In the central portion of the palm grove which 
covers the island, about two hundred houses are scat- 
tered, containing nearly eight hundred people. The 
walls of most of these houses are solidly built of blocks 
of coral rock, and the roofs are composed of palm leaves 
laid on rafters made of wreck wood or split trunks of 
palm trees. 

Grain, pulse, bananas, and vegetables are cultivated; 
but the natives depend upon the mainland for rice. 
One of the commonest shrubs is a coarse heliotrope. 

In some of the islands the people are very much 
troubled with rats, which live up in the crowns of the 
palm trees, and often drop the nuts on the heads of 
people passing by. They also seriously damage the 
crops, and make themselves disagreeable generally. 
The government, anxious to succor the people, sug- 



346 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 









AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 347 



gested sending cats to the islands. But these the 
people had already ; and, as there was a plentiful 
supply of fish below, the cats could not be persuaded 
to run up ninety feet of the bare trunks in search of 
rats, of whose existence they were ignorant. 

Then the government sent over a lot of snakes and 
mongooses. The former the people quickly extermi- 
nated, not seeming to think them a desirable accession 
to the community ; and the latter did little good, as 
they could not climb the trees. Then the government 
tried owls. But the people called them by an evil 
name, and declared they kept them awake at night and 
" made the children scream and the old women foretell 
death and ruin." 

At last the government gave it up, and the native 
men are still assembled at regular seasons, according 
to their custom, for a "koot," or rat hunt. The younger 
men climb the trees and drive the vermin down, to be 
dispatched by those below. The rats scurry from tree 
to tree, only to find a fresh foe in each. Of course 
many escape, but the numbers are thus reduced. 

The people are a peaceable, order-loving population. 
They have been accused of plundering wrecks; but 
about the worst that can be said of them is, that when 
they find abandoned wrecks on the reefs, and useful 
articles scattered about handy, they very naturally help 
themselves. Until lately, no inducement was ever held 
out to them to act otherwise. They have always treated 
shipwrecked mariners with kindness ; and now that 
salvage has been offered them, this petty pilfering will 
probably become less common. 



348 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



The Maldive Islands are situated in the Indian 
Ocean, about three hundred miles from Hindustan. 
They are coral atolls and are arranged in seventeen 
round or oval groups, each one being about ninety 
miles in circumference. 

Standing in the center of one of these atolls, you see 
all around you a great reef of coral, which protects the 
inclosed islands from the impetuosity of the sea. These 
reefs each have four openings, varying in width from 
thirty to two hundred j^ards. 

To those who sail near the islands they appear of 
exceeding whiteness. This is due to the fact that all 
the shoals and reefs are covered with a tine white sand. 
Some of the islands have fresh water; but others do 
not, and in that case the inhabitants go to a neighbor- 
ing island to get it. They also employ simple contriv- 
ances for catching rain water. They stretch a cloth 
horizontally, with a stone in the center of it, and 
underneath they place a vessel which catches the water 
as it filters through. They also tie cocoa leaves tightly 
around the tree trunks near the bottom, and the rain, 
as it runs down, is conducted into vessels. 

The sea yields all kinds of fish, and this is the prin- 
cipal food of the natives. They use besides a great deal 
of poultry, which runs wild and costs them nothing but 
the catching. The islands abound in pigeons, ducks, 
rails, and other birds that may be used as food. The 
people are much troubled with rats, mice, and ants, 
which destroy their grain, provisions, and fruit. To 
escape these pests, they often build their storehouses 
and granaries two or three hundred yards from the shore. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 349 



The principal island of the group is called Mali. It 
is about six miles in circumference, and is the most 
fertile of all. It is the residence of the Sultan and his 
court, and for this reason the most thickly inhabited 
of any. The Sultan pays a yearly tribute to the Gov- 
ernor of Ceylon on behalf of the British Government. 

There are no walled towns, but the houses in the 
villages are generally separated by streets into quarters 
and neatly arranged. Those of the better class are built 
of wood, or occasionally of stone ; those of the poorer 
people being constructed of cocoa thatch, twigs, and 
mud, with thatched roofs. 

The outer garment worn by the men consists of a 
large robe of cotton or silk reaching to the ankles. 
For a belt they use a large . handkerchief embroidered 
with silk and gold, folded in three plaits, and tied in a 
knot in front. Over this they wear a piece of silk of 
bright color, reaching to the middle of the thigh ; and 
last of all gird themselves with a long silken sash, let- 
ting the ends hang down in front. On their heads 
they wear bright-colored turbans of silk or cotton. 

The women also wear a long robe of finest cotton, 
bordered with blue and white and reaching to the feet. 
It is fastened at the neck with two gilt buttons. On 
their arms they wear heavy bracelets of silver, some- 
times reaching to the elbow, and weighing three or four 
pounds. They also wear silver chains around their 
waists, which are not seen except when the robe is very 
transparent. They braid their hair, of which they take 
the best of care, and fasten it in a knot at the back of 
the head, drawing over it a gold netting, which the 



850 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



richer women stud with precious stones. In each ear, 
beginning with the lobe and running around the carti- 
lage, they wear twelve golden ornaments, the holes 
being bored in early life. They color their finger nails 
and their feet red with the sap of a certain tree, this 
being their notion of beauty. The people are of a dark 
olive complexion with black hair. 

As to their religion, they are Mohammedans. They 
say prayers before meals. They use no table, but sit 
crosslegged on a mat on the floor. Instead of linen, 
they use large banana leaves, — the food being placed on 
these in covered dishes. They deem it bad manners to 
eat otherwise than in the greatest haste ; and they never 
converse while taking food, even when company is 
present. After the meal is over, betel is served as 
dessert. They have no regular time for meals, but eat 
whenever they feel inclined to do so. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

THE MALAY ARCHIPELAGO — SINGAPORE AND BORNEO. 

The Malay Archipelago is the largest and most impor- 
tant group of islands on the globe. It lies between Asia 
and Australia, and is washed by the Indian Ocean on 
the west and the Pacific on the east. It is more than 
four thousand miles in length from east to west and 
about thirteen hundred in breadth. This includes New 
Guinea on the east and the Philippine Islands on the 
north, all of Avhich are excluded by some geographers. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 851 



The archipelago is usually divided into three groups. 
The first group contains the Andaman and Nicobar 
islands, with an area of over three thousand square 
miles. The former are in the Bay of Bengal. The 
native population is very scanty and in the lowest state 
of barbarism. The Nicobar Islands lie in the Indian 
Ocean south of the Bay of Bengal. They are covered 
with trees and are in a fertile condition. They are 
subject to frequent hurricanes and are very unhealthy. 
The second group includes the Sunda and Molucca 
islands, with an area of nearly six hundred and sixty 
thousand square miles. This group contains eight 
divisions, the chief of which are the Borneo group, the 
Sumatra, the Java, the Moluccas, and Celebes. The 
third division takes in the Philippine Islands, with an 
area of one hundred and fourteen thousand square 
miles. 

Borneo is more than four times as large as New 
England. New Guinea contains twenty-five thou- 
sand more square miles than Borneo ; being, next to 
Australia and Greenland, the largest island in the 
world. Sumatra is nearly half as large as Borneo. 
Java and Celebes are each larger than the state of 
New York. Eighteen others are as large as Jamaica, 
while there are many smaller islands and islets. 

One of the principal volcanic belts on the globe passes 
through this archipelago. A curved line, which may 
be traced by numerous active volcanoes and many more 
inactive ones, extends through Sumatra and Java and 
thence through thirteen other islands or groups of 
islands to Morty Island. Here there is a break of two 



352 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




A SULTAN OF BORNEO. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 353 



hundred miles, and the belt commences again in the 
North Celebes, passes through two other islands, and 
thence to the Philippine Islands, along the eastern side 
of which it continues to the northern extremity. 

In this whole region earthquakes are of frequent 
occurrence. Slight shocks are felt every few weeks or 
months, while more severe ones, shaking down whole 
villages and doing more or less damage, are sure to 
occur in some one of the islands almost every year. In 
Java, in 1772, forty villages were destroyed, when a 
whole mountain was blown up by repeated explosions, 
a large lake being left in its place. This island alone 
contains more volcanoes than any other known district 
of the same extent. They are about forty-five in 
number, with an average height of ten thousand feet. 

There are two aboriginal races in the Malay Archi- 
pelago. One is of Malay extraction and has a brown 
complexion; the other is the Papuan, or negro, race, 
and is black. The brown race is about four inches 
below the average European in stature. They are 
robust and rather clumsy. The face is square, with 
hollow cheeks and projecting jaws. The mouth is 
large, the nose small, the eyes small and black, and the 
hair lank. The Javanese are the most civilized of this 
race and the darkest. The negro race rarely attain the 
height of five feet and have feeble frames. The skin is 
of a sooty black, not polished like that of the African. 
The lips are prominent, the chin small, and they have 
a wild, malign look. They increase in numbers toward 
the east and are in sole possession of NeAv Guinea. 

Politically, the archipelago is subject to a sixfold 



354 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



division: the independent native states and tribal terri- 
tories, the Spanish possessions, the Portuguese, the 
Dutch, the English, and the Sarawak. The Dutch 
power is by far the most influential. The Spanish pos- 
sessions are confined to the Philippine and Sulu Islands. 
The English possess Singapore and several others. The 
Dutch claim nearly all the rest, including an area of 
more than seven hundred and thirty -six thousand 
square miles, and a population of thirty-three million. 

Singapore, the chief British possession in the Malay 
Archipelago, furnishes a great variety of Eastern races, 
as well as many different religions and ways of life. 
The government, the garrisons, and the principal mer- 
chants are all English. Besides these there are the 
Chinese, who form the great mass of the people. Many 
of them are merchants, farmers, and mechanics. The 
boatmen, fishermen, and most of the police are Malays. 

The town of Singapore contains some handsome pub- 
lic buildings and churches. Hindoo temples, Moham- 
medan mosques, Chinese joss houses, and quaint Chinese 
bazaars occupy conspicuous places. The long suburbs 
show many Chinese and Malay cottages, besides good 
European houses. The Chinese are the most notice- 
able people in the place. The merchants are usually 
fat-faced, pleasant men. They dress in the loose white 
smock, and wear brown or blue trowsers, which differ 
from the clothes of the poorest coolie only in being of 
finer quality. The hair is braided, and hangs in man} r 
cases nearly to the heels. 

Singapore tailors sit at a table and not on one. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



355 



Barbers clean ears as well as shave heads, and for this 
purpose keep many curious little picks, tweezers, and 
brushes. Blacksmiths and carpenters live in the out- 
skirts of the town; and while the former seem to be 




ELEPHANT AT WORK, SINGAPORE. 



engaged mostly in making guns, the latter busy them- 
selves in the construction of coffins. 

Men crying their wares walk up and down the streets, 
while some carry a portable cooking apparatus on a pole 
balanced by a table at the other end, and serve up a 
meal of shellfish and rice for the modest sum of four 
or six cents. In the interior the Chinese are engaged 



356 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



in cutting down trees, in agriculture, and in the raising 
of pepper, which is an important export. 

The island is covered with hills about three hundred 
feet high, many of which are still occupied by the 
original forests. Here and there among them tiger pits 
are concealed. They are about twenty feet deep and 
built with slanting sides, being larger at the bottom 
than at the top. Tigers are still so numerous that on 
an average a Chinaman a day is devoured by them. 
Elephants are largely used for heavy hauling. 

Borneo lies directly east of Singapore and may be 
said to form the great central mass of the archipelago. 
The seas surrounding it are called by various names. 
On the west and north, it is washed by the China Sea. 
On the east it is separated from Celebes by the Strait of 
Macassar, and from Java on the south by the Java Sea. 

The general character of the shores is that of man- 
grove wastes or low level plains, covered with dense 
forests and subject to inundation. Little is known 
of the central part of the island, but it is believed to 
contain immense plains of great fertility. The highest 
mountain in the interior attains an elevation of fourteen 
thousand feet ; from a lake at the foot of this mountain 
issue several rivers. The river mouths are nearly all 
choked with sand bars, making them quite inaccessible 
from without for vessels of even moderate size. 

The wet season begins in September, and ends in 
April. During this time great quantities of rain fall, 
attended with much thunder and lightning. In the 
so-called dry season showers fall nearly every day. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 357 



There are countless forms of vegetable life in this 
prolific island. The cocoanut, the betel, and the sago 
are much prized by the natives, and of all the fruits the 
durian is the greatest favorite. It grows on a lofty tree 
somewhat resembling the elm. The fruit is about as 
large as a cocoanut, though slightly oval in shape. It 
is green in color, and is covered on the outside with 
short, stout spines, very strong and sharp. The rind 
is so tough that it never breaks with a fall. From the 
base to the apex fine faint lines may be traced, and here, 
with a sharp knife, the fruit may be divided. The five 
cells are of a satiny white color, are oval in shape, and 
are filled with a mass of creamy pulp, in which are 
embedded two or three seeds about the size of chest- 
nuts. This pulp is the edible part, and its consistence 
and flavor are simply indescribable. "It is neither 
acid, nor sweet, nor juicy; yet one feels the want of 
none of these qualities, for it is perfect as it is. In 
fact, to eat durians is a new sensation worth a voyage 
to the East to experience." 

Borneo and Sumatra are both inhabited by the orang- 
outang, and this immense ape is believed to be confined 
to these two large islands. It is a very strong and 
powerful creature, and its arms or front legs are so 
long, that when it is standing nearly erect they rest 
upon the ground. Its height is about four feet, and its 
outstretched arms measure from seven feet two inches 
to seven feet eight inches. It lives in the forests, and 
travels in the tops of the trees, seldom descending to 
the ground. It walks deliberately along a large limb, 
selecting one whose branches intermingle with those of 



358 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



an adjoining tree. When it reaches these, it grasps 
them with both hands and seems to try their strength, 
after which it swings itself lightly across to the large 
limb and proceeds as before. It never seems to hurry; 
yet a man in the forest below has to run to keep up with 
it. When night comes, the animal selects a place to 
sleep, not more than fifty feet from the ground, breaks 
large branches from the trees, lays them crisscross, and 
thus forms a bed. It seldom sleeps in the same place 
more than two nights in succession. 

The orang is not an early riser, never leaving its bed 
until the sun has dried the dew on the leaves. It feeds 
through the middle of the day, and lives almost alto- 
gether upon fruit, only occasionally eating buds, leaves, 
and young shoots. Its preference is for unripe fruits, 
some of which are very sour and others intensely bitter. 
It always wastes much more than it eats. 

The population of Borneo is composed of Chinese, 
Europeans, Malays, and Dyaks, who are the aborigines. 
The title rajah is sometimes conferred by the govern- 
ment and often assumed by a landowner. The natives 
are closely allied to the Malays, and more remotely to 
the Siamese, the Chinese, and other Mongolian races. 
They have a reddish brown or yellowish brown skin, 
straight black hair, a small nose, and high cheek bones. 

Their houses are all raised on posts, and are from 
two to three hundred feet long by forty or fifty wide. 
The floors are made of strips split from large bamboos, 
so that each may be nearly flat and about three inches 
wide. These make an excellent floor. 

The bamboo is put to innumerable uses. The Dyak 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 359 




A DYAK OF BORNEO. 



360 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



makes baskets, hen coops, fish nets, and bird cages of 
it, and uses it to assist him in climbing trees. Thin, 
long bamboos are used as vessels for carrying water into 
the houses. Cooking utensils are made of it, and rice 
and vegetables ma}^ be boiled in them to perfection. 
Many other uses might be mentioned, but a sufficient 
number has been enumerated to show how valuable the 
bamboo is, especially to a race who have not the means 
of utilizing the wood and iron common to more civilized 
races. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 

SUMATRA AND JAVA. 

Sumatra lies directly under the equator. It is sepa- 
rated from the Malayan peninsula on the east by the 
Strait of Malacca, and on the southeast from Java by 
the Strait of Sunda. The east side of the island is an 
immense plain, nearly as level as the sea. On the west 
coast are three or four separate chains of mountains run- 
ning parallel with the shore. There are about twenty 
peaks that rise to a height of eight thousand feet. 

The streams on the west coast are numerous, but are 
little more than mountain torrents. On the east side 
are several large rivers, forming extensive deltas at 
their mouths. 

The animals of Sumatra resemble those of Borneo. 
The only antelope known in the archipelago is the wild 
buck of Sumatra. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



361 



The chief city is Palembang, built on a fine curve in 
a river of the same name. It is said that the natives 
are true Malays, never building a house on dry land if 
they can find water to set it in, and never going any- 
where on foot if they can reach a place in a boat. Con- 
sequently the stream is much narrowed by the houses 




A YOUMG ANTELOPE, SUMATRA. 



built on piles on both of its banks, and by a row of 
houses even beyond these, built on bamboo rafts and 
moored to the shore by rattan cables. 

About three miles out of town is a hill which is held 
sacred by the natives. Its summit is shaded by fine 
fruit trees inhabited by a colony of squirrels, which 
have become quite tame. They have somewhat the 
movements of mice, advancing a few feet, then sud- 



362 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



denly pausing and gazing intently with their large 
black eyes before advancing again. The Dyaks, by 

their kindness, 
often obtain the 
confidence of wild 
animals. 

Where the Ma- 
lay villages are not 
built near a stream 
they are somewhat 
peculiar and very 
picturesque. A 
space of a few 
acres is surrounded 
by a fence, and the 
houses are built 
within it with no 
reference to regu- 
larity. They are 
raised upon posts 
about six feet from 
the ground, some 
being built of 
planks and others 
of bamboo. They 
are totally unfur- 
nished inside, the floor being covered with mats upon 
which the inmates sit or lie. The appearance of a 
village is very neat, the ground being swept before the 
principal houses. 

During the wet season the people live exclusively 




A GIRL OF SUMATRA. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 363 



upon rice, which is cooked dry and eaten with salt and 
red peppers. 

Java is the chief seat of Dutch power in the East. 
It is an extremely mountainous country, being traversed 
throughout its whole length by two chains, forming 
ramifications sloping gently down to the sea. Both 
chains are thickly set with volcanoes, active and extinct, 
rising to a height of from six thousand to twelve 
thousand feet. 

The animals are not like those of Borneo and Suma- 
tra. Neither the elephant nor tapir are found here, but 
in the west part the one-horned rhinoceros is not uncom- 
mon. In some districts the royal tiger, the panther, 
and the tiger cat keep the people in constant terror. 

Java possesses exceeding fertility, and an unrivaled 
vegetation covers the ground. Laurels, chestnuts, oaks, 
magnolias, and myrtles are common. The coasts are 
fringed with cocoanut trees, and vast rice fields are 
found farther inland. Coffee is extensively cultivated 
and yields a large harvest. 

The mode of government is unique and interesting. 
The series of native rulers is still retained, from the 
princes called regents down to the village chiefs. With 
each regent is placed a Dutch president, who is looked 
upon as an elder brother, and whose orders take the 
form of recommendations, which are, however, implicitly 
obeyed. Along with each president is placed an in- 
spector, who, at stated times, visits every district, hears 
complaints against the native chiefs, and looks after the 
government plantations. 



36^ 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



The religion of the Javanese is Mohammedanism. 
Until recent years, the Colonial Government discour- 
aged all efforts directed toward the conversion of the 
people to Christianity. The Mohammedan creed was 
regarded as better adapted for supplying their religious 




DRYING COFFEE, JAVA. 



needs. Of late years, however, a more liberal policy 
has prevailed. 

Batavia is the capital of Java, and, when the prosper- 
ity of the Dutch East India Company was at its height, 
it was appropriately styled the " Queen of the East." 
It was the center and headquarters of the company, 
and it was also the emporium through which the whole 
commerce of the East passed to and from Europe. The 
Dutch possessions of Ceylon, the Cape of Good Hope, 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 365 



and the Moluccas depended for their supplies upon 
Java. But since the foundation of the town, the sea- 
shore has silted up to such an extent that the original 
harbor of Batavia has been abandoned and a new port 
constructed at a point six miles to the east. The har- 
bor works at Tanjon Priok, as the present port of 
Batavia is called, and the railway which connects the 
town of Batavia and port, are among the many improve- 
ments begun since 1875. Ocean steamers of four thou- 
sand and five thousand tons' burden can now be moored 
at these wharfs, and there is a convenient and constant 
service of trains between the port and the town. 

Batavia may be divided into three parts. First, 
there is the business quarter, the oldest, where the 
houses are tall and are built with balconies and veran- 
das, and where the streets are narrow ; second, the 
Chinese quarter in the center of the town, containing 
the bulk of the population, closely packed in their green 
dwellings ; and third, the Dutch town, where the offi- 
cials, the military, and the merchants reside. The town 
is divided by a stream and intersected by numerous 
canals. A railway runs from one end of the place to 
the other and the tramway runs from the town gate 
on the north to the statue of Meester Cornells on the 
south. Batavia has a population of 112,000, Surakarta 
102,000, and Surabaya nearly 150,000. 

The Javanese are natural artists, and nowhere is this 
inborn perception more clearly manifested than in the 
color and form of their dress. They wear light cotton 
and silken cloths admirably adapted to the climate. 
Both men and women alike wear the " sarong," a long 



366 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



decorated cloth, wound around the lower limbs and 
fastened at the waist. Over this the men wear a short 
open jacket, and the women a long cloak, fastened at 
the waist by a silver pin. A long scarf is flung grace- 
fully over the right 
shoulder. It is used by 
the mothers to carry 
their babes, and as a 
belt by the men when 
engaged in active work. 
On their heads the men 
wear a square cloth 
which resembles a tur- 
ban, over which is worn 
a large straw hat for 
protection against the 
sun. The women wear 
nothing, but occasion- 
ally carry a bamboo 
umbrella for a similar 
protection. 

The better class of 
natives use European furniture, but the poorer class 
have none except a bed and a chest for clothes, both 
made of bamboo. The staple diet is rice and dried 
fish, with vegetables and fruit. The cooking arrange- 
ments are very simple, nearly everything being cooked 
in a frying pan. 

Rice culture is a prominent pursuit of the Javanese. 
The land of Java is naturally divided into two classes: 
that capable of being inundated by streams, called 




A JAVANESE FRUIT GIRL. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 367 




368 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



" sa wah," and the remainder, called "gaga." On the 
latter the mountain rice and Indian corn are grown. 
On the former rice is grown in terraces, a perfectly 
natural and perpetual supply of water being gained 
from the high mountains. The small fields are worked 
with a hoe, and the large ones with a plow, and then 
inundated. After ten or fifteen days they are hoed or 
harrowed again, and finally small trenches are cut for 
the water to flow from one terrace to another. When 
the earth is a mass of liquid mud, the young plants, 
sown in beds a month before, are transplanted carefully 
into this soft mud. Inundation is necessary until the 
rice is nearly ripe. It is reaped with a short knife, by 
means of which the reaper cuts off each separate head 
with a few inches of stem. The ears are threshed in 
the hollow trunk of a tree, being stamped with a heavy 
piece of wood having a broad end. The men do the 
plowing, harrowing, and weeding , the women, the 
planting, reaping, and threshing. 

The Javanese are particularly skillful in the making 
of mats, of which there are many kinds. A light sort 
of covering for the floor is made from the leaves of the 
wild pineapple. A stronger kind is made from the 
bark of a species of palm, and is used to cover walls 
and ceilings. Mattings are also made from canes im- 
ported from Sumatra. 

The carpenters are very clever, and easily imitate 
European designs handed to them. In spite of this 
aptitude for higher industries, however, the present 
commercial system compels the mass of the people to 
remain mere peasants. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 369 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 

TIMOR AND NEW GUINEA. 

The island of Timor is about three hundred miles 
long by forty broad. It possesses no active volcanoes 
with the exception of Timor Peak near the center of the 
island. 

Besides the natives, it is inhabited by Malays, Chinese, 
and Dutch. The natives are tall, of a dusky broAvn 
color, with large features, aquiline noses, and frizzly 
hair. Their villages consist of curious little houses 
not to be seen elsewhere. They are oval in form, the 
walls being made of sticks about four feet long driven 
into the ground close together. From these rises a high 
conical roof thatched with grass. The door, three feet 
high, is the only opening. 

One of the chief products of Timor is sandalwood, 
which grows on the mountains. It is of a fine yellow 
color and possesses a fragrance which is delightful and 
wonderfully permanent. It is shipped chiefly to China, 
where it is burnt in the temples and the houses of the 
rich. Beeswax, a still more important and valuable 
product, is formed by the wild bees, which build huge 
honeycombs, suspended in the open air, from the large 
branches of trees, seventy or more feet from the ground. 
They are of a semicircular form and often three or four 
feet in diameter. 

New Guinea, or Papua, lies north of Australia, be- 
tween the Asiatic seas on the west and the Pacific Ocean 



370 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 371 



on the east. Its greatest length is fifteen hundred miles, 
and the equator passes just a little north of its most 
northern point, called Cape of Good Hope. This vast 
island is known chiefly from the reports of navigators. 
Its interior has never been thoroughly explored by in- 
telligent travelers. The western half of the island 
belongs to the Dutch, the southeastern portion to the 
English, and the northeastern portion to the Germans. 
The chief town is Dori, about one hundred miles 
south of the Cape of Good Hope. It has a good harbor, 
at one extremity of which is an elevated point jutting 
out into the water and forming, in connection with 
several small islands, a sheltered anchorage. The 
houses all stand in the water and present an odd appear- 
ance. They are very low, and the roofs look like 
inverted boats. The}^ are reached by means of rude 
bridges. The houses, bridges, and platforms are all 
supported by small sticks placed with no reference to 
regularity and looking as if they would fall down. 
The floors are also formed of sticks equally irregular, 
and with such large spaces between, that one unaccus- 
tomed to the performance walks across the floor with 
difficulty. The walls are made of bits of boards, pieces 
of old mats, palm leaves, or anything else the people can 
pick up that will answer the purpose. Under the eaves 
of many of the houses hang human skulls, the trium- 
phant relics of their battles with the fierce tribes of the 
interior, who often sally forth to fight with them. 
Near the center of the village stands a large boat-shaped 
council house, supported by larger sticks than the 
ordinary houses. 



372 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




PORT MORESBY, NEW GUINEA. 



The natives are of a deep brown color, and many of 
them are tall and well proportioned. Their lips are 
extremely thick and their noses very wide, often being 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 373 



curved downward by the weight of the ornaments 
attached to them. But their distinguishing character- 
istic is a great mass of frizzly hair, which stands out 
from their heads in every direction. They call it a 
mop, and are very proud of it. They keep a six-pronged 
bamboo comb stuck in it, with which, when they have 
nothing else to do, they assiduously comb the hair to 
keep it from getting matted. 

The people of Dori are great carvers and painters. 
They cover the outsides of their houses with rude yet 
characteristic figures. The prows of their boats, which 
are cut out of solid blocks of wood, are ornamented 
with masses of open filigree work. The wooden beaters, 
used in tempering the clay for their pottery, their 
tobacco boxes, and other household articles, are taste- 
fully and often elegantly carved. This love of art, in 
a people who have no idea of order, comfort, or even 
decency, seems strange indeed. 

Their clothing consists of filthy bark, rags, or sack- 
ing. They never cut roads through the brush, but 
scramble over fallen trees and wade through pools of 
mud and water whenever they go to or from their pro- 
vision grounds. They live almost wholly upon roots 
and vegetables, and have fish and game only as an 
occasional luxury. 

New Guinea and the adjoining islands are the home 
of many varieties of birds of paradise, one of which, 
called the red bird of paradise, is especially beautiful. 
There are in all more than sixty known species of birds 
on the island. The most numerous is that of the par- 
rots ; and New Guinea may well be called the land of 



374 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



cockatoos. The mammals are few in number, and are 
mostly marsupials. Like Australia, New Guinea is 
the home of the kangaroo, of which there are two kinds, 
one having the peculiar habit of living in the trees. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 
THE MOLUCCAS AND CELEBES. 

The Moluccas, or Spice Islands, about eight in num- 
ber, lie between New Guinea and Celebes. They are 
very fertile, producing nutmegs, cloves, and other 
spices, and also sago, fine woods, and fruits. They 
belong to the Dutch. The natives are a mixed race, 
characterized by pronounced features, dark skins, and 
frizzly hair. 

The only indigenous mammal is the bat. The opos- 
sum, deer, and pig found here were probably intro- 
duced. Of birds, the most handsome is the fruit 
pigeon. It feeds upon mace, and its loud booming 
note is heard continually. The calao is a large bird 
of the hornbill species. Snakes are numerous, the 
largest being the python, which grows to the length of 
thirty feet. When twelve feet long, it is capable of 
swallowing a dog or a child. It has been known to 
climb up the posts on which the houses stand, and take 
a comfortable position on the roof. When in such a 
place, a practiced hand is required to dislodge it, and 
the ensuing scuffle is likely to be a lively one. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



375 



Celebes lies east of Borneo, and is crossed by the 
equator. It has an area of over seventy-six thousand 
square miles. Celebes is properly the name of the east 
part of the island only, the west being called Macassar. 
The island consists of four large peninsulas stretching 
to the east and south and separated by deep gulfs. The 



MM \( ^AM 

■ - 



m 







THE CALAO, MOLUCCAS. 

loftiest mountain is not more than seven thousand feet 
high. The largest lake is said to be in the central part 
of the island, but has never been visited by Europeans. 
The largest river is supposed to have its source in this 
lake, and is navigable for some distance from its mouth 
for vessels of considerable size. 

Though very hot, the climate is tempered by the sea 



376 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



breezes and is remarkably healthful. The east mon- 
soons last from May to November and the west ones the 
rest of the year. The soil generally consists of a vege- 
table mold from ten to twenty feet thick. 

The island is destitute of large carnivorous animals. 
Deer, antelopes, and wild hogs abound; also monkeys, 
moles, rats, mice, and scorpions. Pouched animals 
are found here, also the chameleon and flying dragon. 
These are kept from overrunning the country by numer- 
ous snakes, from the tiger python down to the small 
cobra, whose bite is deadly poison. 

Dense forests clothe the mountain sides, among which 
are found the oak, teak, cedar, nutmeg, palm, and 
countless other trees. The coffee tree, sugar cane, 
indigo, and tobacco are cultivated, and maize and 
mountain rice, of which there are three varieties, are 
also produced. 

The town of Macassar, on the southwest peninsula, 
is a Dutch settlement and the capital of all the Dutch 
possessions in the island. It is defended by Fort 
Rotterdam. It has admirable local regulations. All 
European houses must be kept whitewashed, and at 
four in the afternoon each person must water the road 
in front of his house. No refuse is thrown into the 
streets, but covered drains carry away all impurities 
into large open sewers, into which the tide is admitted 
at high water and then allowed to flow out, carrying 
all sewage into the sea. 

One continuous street along the seashore constitutes 
the principal part of the town, and is occupied chiefly 
by Dutch and Chinese merchants. This street extends 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 377 




378 THE WORLD AND ITS. PEOPLE. 



for more than a mile and gradually merges into one 
containing native houses of miserable character, but 
built exactly in a straight line and backed by fruit 
trees. This part of the street is generally thronged 
with a native population, whose dress consists of cotton 
trowsers about twelve inches long and a checked scarf 
of gay colors worn round the waist or over the shoulders 
in a variety of ways. 

Parallel with this street run two short ones, which 
form the old Dutch town and are inclosed by gates. 
After passing the private houses, we come, at the 
southern extremity, to the fort, a church, and a road at 
right angles to the beach, on which are built the houses 
of the governor and chief officials. 

The people of Celebes have attained a considerable 
degree of civilization, and are both industrious and 
peaceable. They dress well, live in fairly good houses, 
and are making considerable progress in education. 
All this is largely due to the admirable form of govern- 
ment adopted by the Dutch, which has been styled a 
"paternal despotism." 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 
THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 

The Philippine Islands form an important group in 
the northern part of the Malay Archipelago. They 
belong to Spain, and, next to Cuba, form its most 
important colonial possession. There are over four 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 379 



hundred islands in the group, the two largest being 
Luzon and Mindanao. 

The coasts of the larger islands are extremely rugged. 
Their grand mountain ranges are clothed to their sum- 
mits with a gigantic, ever-teeming vegetation, and the 
plains between are exceedingly rich in their tropical 
fertility. 

Among plants cultivated for use are the palms, hemp, 
coffee tree, indigo, tobacco, cloves, nutmeg, and red and 
black pepper vines. Rice, maize, wheat, yams, sweet 
potatoes, and many kinds of fruits are also raised. 

The buffalo is used in tilling the fields and as a beast 
of burden. The woods are full of pelicans, pigeons, 
herons, eagles, wild ducks, and quails. The jungles 
swarm with humming birds and parrots. The lakes 
and rivers are alive with fish, crocodiles, and alligators. 
The most dreaded of the snakes is the boa constrictor. 

The total population numbers about seven millions, of 
whom one million belong to the Papuan negro race and 
independent Indian tribes ; more than three and a half 
millions are Malay Indians; fifty-five thousand are 
Chinese, and the rest are Europeans and mixed races. 

Manila, the capital of the group, is situated on Luzon 
Island, near the mouth of a river and on a bay of the 
same name. The city proper forms the segment of a 
circle between the river and the sea, and its suburbs 
extend over numerous islets formed by the river and its 
branches, and are easily reached in all parts by boats. 

The population of the city, which numbers about 
one hundred and fifty-four thousand, consists of Span- 
iards, Creoles, Malay Indians, Mestizos, and Chinese. 



380 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




MESTIZO GIRLS, MANILA. 



The city is divided into two sections, the military and 
the mercantile, the latter being the suburb. The mili- 
tary part is surrounded by high walls and is bounded 
on one side by the sea and on the other by an exten- 
sive plain, where the troops are drilled, and where, 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 381 

in the evening, the Creoles go in their carriages to 
exhibit their elegant costumes and to inhale the sea air. 
This public promenade has been styled the " Champs- 
Elyse'es " of the Malay Archipelago. 

A bridge connecting the two parts of the city spans 
the river. The military town is inhabited principally 
by Spaniards, and its aspect is rather dull and monoto- 
nous. All the streets are perfectly straight, and are 
bordered by wide granite footpaths. 

The houses, large and spacious, are built in a particu- 
lar manner, so as to withstand the shock of earthquakes. 
They have but one story above the ground floor. The 
upper part is occupied by the family and is surrounded 
by a gallery, opened or shut by wide sliding panels, 
the panes of which are mother-of-pearl. This permits 
the. light to enter and excludes the heat. 

Numerous canals intersect the suburb where live the 
rich merchants, — Spanish, English, Indian, and Chi- 
nese. The newest and most elegant houses are to be 
found along the banks of the river. They are simple 
in their exterior, but contain the most costly inventions 
of English and Indian luxury. Precious ware from 
China and Japan, gold, silver, and rich silks greet the 
eye of the guest on entering one of these habitations. 
Each house has a landing-place from the river, and 
small bamboo palaces serve as bathhouses, to which the 
residents resort several times in the course of the day 
to relieve the fatigue caused by the intense heat. 

The people of the interior seem to be a mixed race, 
resulting from the union of the aborigines with Chinese, 
Japanese, and Malays. They are tall, with long hair 



382 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 







AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 383 



and thin beard. They have a brasslike color, inclining 
to European whiteness, with vivacious eyes, large nose, 
and high, prominent cheek bones. 

They are passionately fond of music and dancing. 
They are of frugal habits, requiring nothing for their 
sustenance except water, rice, and salt fish. They 
venerate the aged and are very hospitably inclined. A 
stranger appearing at mealtime before an Indian hut 
is invited, even urged, to take a place at the humble 
board and partake of the family cheer. 

In the year 1896 trouble broke out in the Philippine 
Islands, and Spanish troops were immediately sent to 
quell the disturbance and reduce the people to subjec- 
tion. As they were fighting for what they deemed were 
their rights, they were not easily conquered, and in the 
spring of 1897 large numbers of soldiers were with- 
drawn from Cuba and sent to cooperate with the 
Spanish troops in the Philippines. The war has con- 
tinued, with varying successes, and with the usual 
Spanish barbarities. 



CHAPTER XL. 
ISLAND GROUPS OF OCEANICA. 

'The Caroline Islands form one of the great archi- 
pelagoes of Oceanica, and lie between the Philippines, 
the Marshall Islands, and New Guinea, extending from 
three to twelve degrees north latitude. Including the 
Pelew Islands, which, from the character of their in- 



384 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 







AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 385 



habitants and the history of their discovery, form part 
of the archipelago, they extend over a distance of two 
thousand miles from west to east. They are divided 
into numerous groups. All of the Carolines except 
three are atolls. The climate is mild and agreeable in 
spite of the hurricanes which now and then sweep over 
the islands. 

The greater part of the inhabitants of the Carolines 
belong to the Malay race. They are excellent seamen, 
and live almost wholly upon the produce of their fish- 
ing. The natives of the Hogolen Islands, one of the 
groups, are a cruel and treacherous race, often attack- 
ing vessels which approach their shores. They arm 
themselves with knives, brass-hilted cutlasses, spears, 
and slings, using the latter weapon with great dexterity 
and murderous effect. 

On the Bornabi group are the ruins of a fortified 
town, not built by the aborigines, but by some civilized 
people. The stones in the walls are eight or ten feet 
in length and must have been carried hither from some 
other land, as no rock of this kind exists in the neigh- 
boring islands. It is believed they were erected by 
Spanish pirates several centuries ago, this group being 
a stronghold of these lawless rovers. 

In some of the islands the houses erected are of a 
superior order, when compared with the dwellings of 
savages in general. The erection of a house is looked 
upon as an honorable employment, and the future occu- 
pant is assisted by all his friends and their dependents. 
The roof has a very steep pitch, and in its center is 
supported by tall posts. It is thatched with palm 



386 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



leaves, which overhang the walls about a foot at the 
eaves. The space between the uprights is filled up with 
small canes and bamboos fastened together with twine. 
The twine is of different colors, and is so woven as to 
present figures on the outside walls. The floor is laid 
of bamboo, a space four or five feet square being left 
in the center for a fire, the smoke from which finds its 
way out through crevices in the roof and walls. 

The largest houses seldom exceed forty feet b}~ 
twenty, and the lower classes of people are contented 
with those ten feet by six, or even smaller. But the 
war-canoe houses, which serve the purpose of council 
rooms and halls for feasting, are often a hundred feet 
in length by forty wide. The canoes are suspended at 
the sides of the house when not in use. 

The principal mechanical tool is the hatchet, made 
of a hard white stone, broken to a shape resembling 
our hatchets, and sharpened to a fairly good edge on 
rough rocks. For lighter work sea shells are used. 
Dogfish skin is used for polishing. It is surprising 
how dexterous the natives become, and what excellent 
work they often perform, with these simple tools. 

Vines are often used for cordage. The fibers of the 
plantain and banana tree are very fine and soft, and 
are used in the manufacture of sashes. They are 
drawn from the pith of the tree, and are woven into a 
texture which much resembles silk. The mats for 
sails, clothing, and beds are braided by the women. 
The sails are woven of sjxlit rushes. The mat worn 
about the body is made of the tuft of leaves growing 
at the top of the cocoa palm. After the leaves are 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



387 



bleached, they are strung together. The mats upon 
which they sleep are made of rushes. The natives 
have a great love of music and a fairly accurate ear. 

There are only two musical instruments in use, — a 
drum and a pipe, 
or sort of fife. 
The drum is made 
by stretching a 
piece of fishskin 
over a hollow log. 
The fife has three 
finger holes, and is 
blown by the nos- 
trils instead of the 
mouth of the 
player. For war 
trumpets they use 
shells or conchs. 

Next to singing, 
the favorite amuse- 
ment of the natives 
is dancing. Night 
dances are held in 
the canoe houses, 
with no light other than the moon and stars shining 
in at the great open door. They stand up in rows, 
and their dancing is merely stamping in time to the 
singing, and the precision with which they do this is 
quite astonishing. 

The religion of the people is extremely singular, 
since it seems to be a worship of mind or life independ- 




NATIVE SWORD AND DRUMS. 



388 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



ent of the body. They have no temples, altars, offer- 
ings, or sacrifices, but worship a world of spirits. Aside 
from the general and universal worship of the ancestors 
of the chiefs, each family worships its own ancestors. 
The profession of the priests is hereditary. Their sup- 
port is drawn chiefly from presents ; for, though they 
own land, their possessions are small. They are held 
in great respect by the people, and are the confidants 
and advisors of the chiefs. 

Spain claims several of the groups of the Caroline 
Islands as dependencies of the Philippines, but she has 
no settlements on them and no representative of her 
authority. Among these are the Ladrones, or Marianne 
Islands, fifteen in number ; but five only are inhabited. 
They are of volcanic origin, very fertile, and densely 
wooded. The government is a sort of oligarchy, where 
the power is so subdivided that some chief can take note 
of every man's actions ; and all offenses, whether great 
or small, are promptly punished as soon as committed. 

The Marshall Islands are included in the Mulgrave 
Archipelago in the Pacific Ocean. They are low and 
of coral formation. It is in the Marshall Group that 
the natives have made the greatest progress in civiliza- 
tion. This is due to the fact that they are directly in 
the track of vessels. They have a population of fifteen 
thousand, and are under German protection. 

Next to the Marshall Group the Gilbert Islands are 
of most importance. There are fifteen of them, and the 
highest land in any one does not exceed twenty feet. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 389 

The soil, composed of coral sand and vegetable mold, 
is only a few inches deep. The natives cultivate the 
cocoanut and the pandanus, which are the chief articles 
of food. They give especial care to a species of the 
taro. The breadfruit tree grows on the north islands. 
The inhabitants resemble the Malays, and the popu- 
lation of the entire group is about thirty-six thousand. 

The Solomon Islands are in the Pacific Ocean, be- 
tween, latitude five degrees and twelve degrees south, 
and about five hundred miles east of New Guinea. 
They are of volcanic origin, and there is one active 
volcano. The surface is elevated, well wooded, and 
fertile. The shores are steep, with fringing reefs. 
They were first discovered by a Spaniard, who gave 
them the name of the Islands of Solomon in order that 
his countrymen, supposing them to be the islands from 
which King Solomon procured his gold, might be in- 
duced to colonize them. 

The natives of the Solomon Islands are divided into 
two distinct classes: those who live on the coast, and 
those who inhabit the interior. Hostilities nearly 
always exist between them, and it not unfrequently 
happens that the language of the one is unintelligible 
to the other, showing that feuds are of many years 
standing. 

The houses of the chiefs and principal men are 
elaborate, and often have a staging in front on a level 
with the lower edge of the aperture that serves as an 
entrance. This staging is protected by an overhanging 
roof, and on it the inmates are wont to sit and lie about 



390 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




NATIVE OF THE SOLOMON ISLANDS. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA, 



391 



during the afternoon and evening. In the best houses 
spaces are partitioned off for sleeping rooms and there 
are raised stages for mats. 

The tambu houses are sacred buildings, and have 
many and varied uses. Women are not allowed to 




A TAMBU HOUSE, SOLOMON ISLANDS. 



enter them. But the front of them is a common place 
of resort for the men, especially during the afternoon, 
and they are at liberty to sleep in the building itself at 
night. 

Wild fruits and nuts occur throughout all the islands 
in large quantities, and are much used as food by the 
natives. The flesh of the large monitor lizard is much 



392 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



prized, and even the crocodile is not rejected. The 
natives are also addicted to cannibalism. 

All the people — men, women, and children — are 
inordinately fond of smoking tobacco. The weed has in 
fact established itself between trader and native as 
the principal currency. The practice of chewing the 
betel nut is also prevalent throughout the group, and 
is practiced by both sexes. 

The Solomon Island songs, though often monotonous, 
are in keeping with the wild character of the islanders. 
The Pandean pipe is the musical instrument in common 
use among them, and the Jew's harp of foreign manu- 
facture is also much in demand. 

The Fiji Islands form a group in the South Pacific 
between 15° and 19° south latitude, and 177° east and 
178° west longitude. They comprise nearly two hun- 
dred islands, of which about eighty-one are inhabited. 
Two of the islands only are of large size. 

These islands are of volcanic origin; all are moun- 
tainous, and some of the peaks rise to the height of 
several thousand feet. They are covered with a luxu- 
riant vegetation to their very summits. 

The fruits include breadfruit, of which there are nine 
varieties, cocoa, shaddocks, and the papaw apple. The 
yam, of which there are six sorts, is the chief food of 
the natives. Sugar and tobacco are cultivated. 

The savages number over one hundred thousand. 
They have been decreasing in the last fifty years. 
Formerly cannibalism was frightfully common. 

The native Fijians are above the average height of 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 393 



Europeans, the men often measuring six feet. They 
are not corpulent, but large, muscular, and powerful. 
Nearly all of them are broad-chested and have sinewy 
arms, stout limbs, and short necks. The head is often 
covered with a large amount of long, black, frizzly hair, 
sometimes growing low on the forehead. They wear a 
thick round or pointed beard, and sometimes a mustache 
also. The face is oval ; the nose is well shaped, with 
full nostrils ; the eyes are black and marked by a rest- 
less but penetrating gaze ; and the large mouth is made 
conspicuous by white, handsome teeth. They vary in 
complexion, but the pure Fijian stands between the 
black and copper-colored races. He is neither dull nor 
stupid, and is capable both of love and hate. His loy- 
alty is both strong and lasting, and at the same time he 
is noted for his undying revenge. In a social way, he 
is cautious and clever. 

The native houses vary very much in different locali- 
ties. In one district a village looks like a collection 
of large wicker baskets, in another like a cluster of 
rustic arbors, and in another like a number of large 
hayricks of either oblong or conical form. Some tribes 
introduce just enough framework to receive the cover- 
ing for the walls, the inside of the house being a single 
room. Other tribes introduce center posts and other 
supports on the inside, and along one side build a gal- 
lery on which to store their property. The Avails of a 
house are from four to ten feet high, and the roof steep 
and lofty. The thatch covering the roof frequently 
reaches to the ground, concealing the walls from sight. 

The furniture of Fijian houses is very scant and 



394 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 395 



simple. Where the house is high, an elevated place 
along one end serves as a divan by day and a bed by 
night. It is covered with a thick layer of dried grass 
and elastic ferns, upon which are from two to ten mats. 
It is also furnished with two or three wooden or bamboo 
pillows. Ornamental baskets, gourds, and bottles for 
scented oil hang on the walls. Besides these there are 
fans, sunshades made from the leaves of the cabbage 
palm, a dish made of dark wood for holding oil, and a 
few wooden or wicker dishes for food. Along the foot 
of the walls rest oblong wooden bowls with four feet, or 
round earthen ones with none. 

The people usually have two meals a day, the prin- 
cipal one being in the afternoon or evening. They 
like their meat very fresh, and some of the smaller 
fishes are eaten alive as a relish. Their manner of 
drinking is peculiar. They throw the head backward, 
open the mouth wide, elevate the vessel several inches 
above the lips, and then pour a stream of water down 
the throat. To drink in this manner from a bamboo 
which is from two to ten feet long is no easy task. The 
longest bamboo holds about two gallons, and to slake 
one's thirst from the open end, while a native gradually 
raises the other, often results, for a novice at least, in 
a cold bath. 

" Sleep and tobacco are among the leading comforts 
of the Fijians." Although tobacco has been known for 
but comparatively few years, it is universally used by 
men, women, and children. 

Missionaries to the Fiji Islands first landed in 1835. 
Their numbers have never been large, but the work 



396 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



accomplished by them has been marvelously great. 
Cruel practices and degrading superstitions have been 
lessened, and thousands have been converted to Chris- 
tianity. Marriage is sacred, the Sabbath is regarded, 
and hundreds of schools have been established. The 
language has been reduced to written form, and a 
grammar and dictionary have been printed. 




■ - • •-^•" •- 




NATIVE CANOE, FIJI ISLANDS. 



In 1874 the islands were annexed to the English 
government. Within the last fifty years a great many 
white people have settled there and established them- 
selves as planters, shopkeepers, and traders. A few of 
them are Americans, some are Germans, but the major- 
ity are English. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 397 



The New Hebrides are an island group in the Pacific 
Ocean between latitude fourteen degrees and twenty 
degrees south. There are five principal islands. The 
natives are of the Papuan race. A few of the islands 
are of coral formation, and nearly all of them are sur- 
rounded by coral reefs. 

The four most important trees in the islands are the 
cocoanut, the breadfruit, the orange, and the sandal- 
wood. There are also several varieties of palms, among 
them the beautiful and useful fan palm. The bread- 
fruit tree is not unlike an ash in form, but its leaves 
are very large, every one spreading out like the open 
hand of a mighty giant. The wood of the tree is soft, 
easily worked, and very durable. Canoes are usually 
hollowed out of the trunk of this tree. The breadfruit 
is either round or oval, and about six inches in diam- 
eter. In appearance and consistency it bears a con- 
siderable resemblance to fine wheaten bread. It is 
easily cooked, and may be either boiled or roasted. The 
bread, when cooked, is nearly pure white, soft, delicious 
to the taste, and very wholesome and nourishing. 

There are two crops each year. The winter one is 
the smaller, and is ready in July and August. The 
summer crop comes on in December and January. The 
fruit cannot be kept fresh more than a day or two after 
it is picked. But the natives have a way of preserving 
it, when the crop is very plentiful or is blown down by 
a hurricane. They dig pits three or four feet deep and 
about three in diameter, line them with cocoanut leaves, 
cut the fruit into three or four pieces, throw it into the 
pits, and cover it with leaves and earth. It then under- 



398 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




FAN PALM, NEW HEBRIDES. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 399 



goes a sort of fermentation. After a while they take it 
out, work it, and replace it. When thus prepared, it 
will keep for several months. 

When first discovered, these islands were governed 
by numerous chiefs and under chiefs. In heathen times 
there was no union, and no concerted action. In some 
of the eastern islands the missionaries, assisted by an 
English lawyer, prepared a civil constitution for the 
natives. But the result was disappointing. These good 
men very soon concluded that the best policy was to 
let the framework of society remain as it was. 

The Loyalty Islands are five in number, two large 
and three small ones. Lifu is the most northern and 
the largest. Mari, discovered in 1841, is densely settled 
by a wild race of small stature. This island has been 
visited by whalers and traders for many years, and the 
natives understand enough of the English language to 
make themselves understood in bartering transactions. 
The Mari natives have taken to civilization better than 
most of the races of the western isles in the south 
Pacific. They wear European clothing, if they can 
afford it, and the chiefs occasionally build good houses, 
and even manage to buy an occasional whale boat of 
fair size. 

Although traders had for many }^ears carried on their 
business of bartering with the aborigines of New Cale- 
donia, this island was but little known until the French 
took possession of it in 1854. It is more than seven 
hundred miles from Queensland, and six hundred from 



400 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




HOUSE IN NEW CALEDONIA. 



the Fiji Islands. It is an elongated tract of mountain- 
ous land, rising in many places to the height of three 
thousand feet. It has a length of about two hundred 
miles, and an average breadth of thirty. The hills of 
New Caledonia are not covered with profuse vegetation, 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 401 



but they are rich in minerals, — how rich remains yet 
to be ascertained. The range skirting the eastern shore 
supplies nickel ore. The nickel region extends for 
about sixty miles, and nearly all the white inhabitants 
have been, or are, in some way interested in this metal. 
Noumea is the capital. The French army and navy is 
well represented, for this is a French penal station. 
The number of prisoners is about three thousand. 

The marked feature of a native village is the conically 
shaped house of the chief. It is from thirty to fifty 
feet high and has an addition of ten or twelve feet of 
ornamentation, which usually consists of a vertical pole 
to which large sea shells are fastened at regular inter- 
vals. The middle post or axis which supports this 
structure is the straight stem of a pine tree. The roof 
is covered with a thatch of fine grass, and is perfectly 
water tight. The dwelling part of the house is cylin- 
drical in form, with a height of about nine feet. 

The men, in common with other savages, are exceed- 
ingly lazy. They loiter about in the bush or on the 
shore, and their slings and spears afford them some 
amusement. The women are busy enough. They col- 
lect the shellfish, fetch wood and water, and attend to 
the plantation. The only recognized meal of the day 
is prepared toward sunset. The meal is cooked in an 
open space, inclosed by a wall of dried cocoanut-jDalm 
leaves, arranged so as to form a sheltering screen. 
There are two or three large ovens inside this inclo- 
sure, and by this method of cooperation the one meal of 
the whole community can be cooked and distributed at 
the same time. 



402 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



The natives of New Caledonia belong to the Papuan 
race. The men are remarkably muscular and, so far as 
the term applies to dark-colored races, handsome. The 




A NEW CALEDONIA FISHERMAN. 



women, who perform the drudgery, age rapidly, and 
their wrinkled foreheads and oftentimes closely shaven 
heads render them the reverse of beautiful. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 403 



CHAPTER XLI. 

SAMOAN, FRIENDLY, AND SOCIETY ISLANDS. 

In the Pacific Ocean, fourteen degrees south latitude, 
is a group of thirteen islands of volcanic origin, called 
the Samoan, or Navigator Islands. Only four of these 
are of any importance. The most easterly is called 
Manua, and rises to the height of twenty-five hundred 
feet. The largest island is named Savaii, and its high- 
est point is four thousand feet above the sea. 

The climate is variable, though warm. In the 
winter heavy rains and strong winds prevail. The 
soil is very fertile, yielding twenty kinds of breadfruit, 
bananas, sugar cane, coffee, sweet potatoes, pineapples, 
yams, and tobacco. Banyan trees, tree ferns, several 
varieties of palms, and orange trees grow in abundance. 
Rattans, ninety feet in length, bamboos, and wild nut- 
meg trees are common. 

In 1875, the United States secured a naval coaling 
station at Apia, on the Island of Upolu, and four years 
later England, Germany, and the United States agreed 
to respect each other's rights in Samoa. Malietoa, a 
man of excellent character, was proclaimed king, and 
two others, vice-kings. Malietoa, resisting false claims, 
was deposed and one of the vice-kings declared his 
successor. The other fought against him, and in the 
fray several Germans were killed, which gave Germany 
a pretext of declaring war. Finally, a conference of 
the Powers at Berlin reinstated Malietoa as king, and 



404 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 405 



a strict neutrality of the foreign powers was guaran- 
teed. 

Upolu is a very beautiful island. Its chief city, 
Apia, has a fine harbor, formed by a coral reef running 
nearly the entire distance across the bay. The entrance 
is narrow, and another reef divides the harbor into two 
parts. From the sea, the appearance of Apia is trop- 
ical and fascinating in the extreme. The cocoa palms, 
the picturesque mountains, and the charming bay 
form a scene which an artist may well admire. The 
village is almost hidden by dense groves of cocoa palms 
and breadfruit trees. On the extreme left the palm 
groves are dotted with foreign residences. The middle 
ground is occupied by small white cottages and native 
houses, savage and civilized life being strangely blended 
together. The French missionary church occupies a 
central position among these. 

The beach road is the chief thoroughfare in Apia. 
Not far from the center of the town a small stream of 
water crosses the road, and is spanned by a bridge. 
Here most of the natives of Apia do their washing. 
Every day men, women, and children may be seen 
standing or sitting in the water, laughing and washing 
away with great energy. The women usually sit in 
the water, with a flat stone before them, and on this 
they beat the clothes until they think them clean. 
Then they rinse them, after which the clothes are 
wrung out and spread in the sun to dry. 

The native house of Apia has a roof resembling a 
ship's hull, keel uppermost. Its shape is usually oval, 
and it is thatched with grass and leaves. There are 



406 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



plenty of mats on the floor, a hole in the ground for 
lighting a fire, a kava bowl hanging on the wall, several 
bamboo pillows, an old chest or two, and perhaps a 
musket. 

Kava is the popular beverage of the Samoans. It is 
prepared from the root of a shrub, a species of pepper, 
which grows to the height of five or six feet. In order 
to prepare the drink, the root is cleansed and cut into 
small pieces. These are then distributed among young 
men and women who have perfect teeth, and who chew 
the pieces until they are reduced to minute particles. 
The pulpy masses, mouthful after mouthful, are then 
thrown into a large wooden bowl. Water is poured on, 
and the mass is worked about with the hand until the 
strength and flavor of the kava is thoroughly extracted. 
Kava has medicinal properties, and when drunk in ex- 
cess produces an effect similar to that brought about 
by the use of opium. 

The Samoans are true Polynesians, of the lightest 
color of the race. They are of fine physique, and, both 
in appearance and manner, are prepossessing. In 
mental and social disposition they hold the highest 
position in the Pacific. Though they have had a great 
deal of war among themselves, they do not love fighting 
for its own sake. In all their wars they respect the 
lives of non-combatants, such as infirm persons, chil- 
dren, and women. They have never been given to 
infanticide or human sacrifice. They are never treach- 
erous. They always treat their Avomen with respect, 
and their children with extravagant affection. 

In spite of missionary teaching, the men still tattoo 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 407 




SAMOAN PRINCESSES. 



408 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



their bodies from the hips down to the knees. A 
tattooer's profession is very lucrative. His instruments 
resemble combs, and are made of human bone of differ- 
ent sizes. The operation takes from two to three 
months, during which time the patient remains in some 
retired place. All this time the relatives of the young 
person bring mats, money, and food, and if the quantity 
does not suit the tattooer, he "goes on a strike," refus- 
ing to proceed until sufficient liberality is displayed. 
Of course the requisite gifts are sure to be brought, for 
no Samoan could endure going half tattooed. 

The Samoans, both in person and domestic life, are 
scrupulously clean, bathing two or three times a day, 
and preferring the water of the rivers to that of the sea. 
The young women are fine in form, if not in feature, 
although some of them would be considered beautiful 
in any country. A young woman is often selected as 
Queen of the Village, and while she holds that posi- 
tion everybody must obey her commands. The Samoan 
language is soft and liquid in pronunciation, and has 
rightly been styled the "Italian of the Pacific." It is 
difficult to learn, as one of its accents misplaced changes 
the whole meaning of the word. 

These Pacific islands are subject to violent hurricanes. 
On March 15, 1889, there were warships of the United 
States, Germany, and England riding at anchor in the 
harbor of Apia, when suddenly a terrific storm burst 
upon them, causing them to drag their anchors, hurling 
some of them upon each other, and dashing others upon 
the beach. Courageous natives rescued many of the 
struggling sailors, but many were drowned. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



409 






410 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



The English man-of-war, Calliope, succeeded in 
escaping to sea, in the midst of the fearful commotion, 
and, as she passed the United States warship Trenton, 
our manly tars, forgetful of their own imminent peril, 
gave lusty cheers, to which the Englishmen responded. 
It was a grand thing to do ; facing death and yet 
cheering the sailors of another nation who were escap- 
ing from it. The Trenton finally settled in shoal water, 
and all but one of the four hundred and five souls on 
board escaped death as by a miracle. 

Robert Louis Stevenson, the noted English writer, 
went to Samoa on account of his health, and lived there 
for several years, becoming greatly endeared to the na- 
tives. He died near Apia in 1894, and was buried high 
upon the side of one of the mountains which in life he 
had loved so well. 

The Friendly Islands, sometimes styled the Tonga 
Group, comprise about thirty-two larger islands and a 
hundred and fifty smaller ones. The great majority 
are of coral formation, but some of them are volcanic 
in their origin. The principal island of the group is 
Sacred Tonga, which contains about seventy-five hun- 
dred inhabitants out of a population of twenty-five 
thousand in the entire group. These islands were 
discovered by Tasman in the seventeenth century, but 
the name Friendly was given to them by Captain Cook. 

The climate is very mild, but humid. Earthquakes 
and hurricanes are common, though the former are not 
destructive. Yams, sweet potatoes, bananas, cocoa- 
nuts, breadfruit, sugar cane, and the hog-plum are the 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 411 




A LANE IN SAMOA. 



412 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



principal products. The various islands were formerly 
governed by independent chiefs, but nearly all of them 
are now under the rule of one chief or king. 

On the island of Tofua is an active volcano, situated 
near the middle of a large inland basin. For a great 
distance around this point the surface of the earth is 
torn to pieces by the eruptions which have taken place. 
But few people live upon this island. They are 
always warned of an approaching eruption by a great 
rumbling noise and by the trembling of the earth. 

In some of the other islands occasional volcanic force 
is displayed. Three quarters of a mile northeast of 
Tofua is a lofty conical island with a volcano some- 
times in action. In October, 1886, an eruption occurred 
on another island of the group, which had a population 
of nearly five hundred people at the time. The inhabi- 
tants all escaped to an island thirty-five miles distant. 
Their own island was covered twenty feet deep with 
volcanic dust, and in one place a new hill two hundred 
feet high was formed. 

The natives of the Friendly Islands greatly resemble 
those of the Samoan Group. They are equally light in 
color, and the young children are almost white. Their 
countenances are generally of the Asiatic cast. They 
are tall and well proportioned, and their muscles are 
finely developed. The women are remarkable for their 
personal beauty, and have considerable respect shown 
them, which varies, however, according to their rank. 

Their ranks of society are king, chiefs, attendants of 
chiefs, the common people, and slaves. Originally, 
there were persons connected with the heathen priest- 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



413 



hood who were considered superior even to the king, 
and to whom he was expected to do homage. The 
manner of investing the monarch with kingly dignity 
is peculiar. The chiefs of the various islands assemble, 
and the ceremony takes place at a kava meeting. The 
kava here drunk is like that of the same name prepared 




NATIVE HOUSE, FRIENDLY ISLANDS. 



by the Samoans. Two of the principal chiefs, called 
fathers, sit, the one at the king's right hand, and the 
other at his left. Their office is to relieve the kino; 
and to act on his account. The other chiefs sit on 
either side, forming a large circle, and the mass of the 
people occupy a place in front. Before the kava is 
served, the chief at the king's right hand makes a 



414 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



speech, in which the object of the meeting is set forth. 
Other chiefs, and the king also, speak in turn. When 
the kava is poured out for the king, the right-hand chief 
salutes him with the title expressive of his office. 

The first attempt to introduce Christianity was made 
in the latter part of the eighteenth century. Now 
nearly all the islanders are Christians. The majority 
of them can speak English, and many of these have 
learned writing, arithmetic, and geography. The 
women have nearly all been taught to sew. 

The Cook Islands lie between the Friendly and 
Society islands. They have an area of three hundred 
square miles and a population of eight thousand. The 
people are of Malay race, and many of them have become 
civilized through the efforts of English missionaries. 

The Society Islands form an important group in the 
South Pacific between latitude 16° 11' and 17° 53' 
south. The group consists of the island of Tahiti and 
a great number of comparatively small islands. All the 
islands are mountainous. In Tahiti the loftiest sum- 
mit is 7300 feet above the sea, and there are two other 
peaks near it, measuring nearly 7000 feet. A coral 
reef encircles the island at the distance of two or three 
miles, presenting an effectual barrier against the vio- 
lence of the waves, and, on account of frequent open- 
ings in it, forming several harbors, where the sea is 
always tranquil and the largest vessels may ride in 
safety. The best of these harbors, and the only one 
much used, is Matavai Bay on the north. The scenery 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



415 




416 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



of all the islands is beautiful, and almost every one of 
the group has been described by navigators in rapturous 
terms, as realizing their ideas of an earthly paradise. 

Papeete is the capital of Tahiti. It is a small town, 
consisting of several streets shaded by fine trees, the 
branches of which almost meet overhead. The French 
Government House is at Papeete, and quite outrivals 
the palace of the native sovereign. It is two stories 
in height, and entirely surrounded by a covered veranda 
inclosed with Venetian blinds. The French obtained 
possession of the island in 1845, and the defeated 
natives were obliged to accept the French protectorate. 
They are a good-humored, gay, and cheerful people, 
and are honest, well behaved, and obliging. Some 
of them have been converted to Christianity and can 
both read and write. They are passionately fond of 
music, and many of their compositions are extremely 
melodious. 

The people have some strange customs, the strangest 
of which consists in giving away one of their own chil- 
dren occasionally and adopting that of a friend in its 
place. Another peculiarity is the source from which 
they derive their names and also change them. That 
of Pomare, the present native queen, arose from a 
former king, who was seized with a violent fit of cough- 
ing after dark : po signifies night, mare, cough, and the 
name has descended from generation to generation of 
crowned heads. When the eyes of the dying rest on 
any particular article of furniture or clothing, mem- 
bers of the family adopt it for a name and drop the 
one formerly held. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 41 ? 




418 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



CHAPTER XLII. 

THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 

When these islands in the Pacific Ocean, twenty- 
one hundred miles. southeast from San Francisco, were 
discovered, in July, 1778, by Captain James Cook, 
he named them the Sandwich Islands, in honor of 
Lord Sandwich. They had been previously visited by 
Gaetano, an Italian navigator, in 1542. Their original 
name, Hawaii, is now retained. When Captain Cook 
first landed, he was regarded as a god. The natives 
had expected an old deity to return, and supposed the 
distinguished navigator was he. They gave him hom- 
age, and offered sacrifices to him ; but in about thirteen 
months an altercation ensued, in consequence of the 
theft of a boat by the natives, and Captain Cook was 
killed. A monument, erected in 1877 on the island of 
Hawaii, the largest of the group, marks the spot where 
he fell. His death is regarded to this day by the na- 
tives as a stain upon their history. 

The Hawaiian Group consists of eight mountainous 
islands with seven insignificant islets, some of which 
are mere rocks jutting out of the sea. Their origin 
is volcanic, and coral reefs abound on their shores. 
They lie in the North Pacific Ocean, between the paral- 
lels of latitude eighteen and twenty-two. Their area 
is about sixty-six hundred square miles, and the popu- 
lation about one hundred thousand. 

The people who first came to these islands voyaged 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



419 



ali the way from Tahiti, more than . twenty-three hun- 
dred miles to the north. The ancient canoe, which 
still is somewhat in use, was made from a log hollowed 
out, with an outrigger to keep it steady. Sometimes 
double canoes, carrying sixty men, were built, which 
sailed very swiftly, rigged with a triangular sail and 




NATIVE CANOES, HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 

also propelled by paddles. The people fought with 
clubs and spears in their numerous battles among them- 
selves, and used bows only to kill rats. They made 
various tools from the shell of a large clam, which cut 
like an ax. Their clothing, which was very scanty, 
was made by beating out the inner bark of trees. 

Cocoanut trees, some of which are a hundred years old 



420 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



and a hundred feet high, are still quite numerous and 
give a very tropical appearance to the landscape. The 
natives ascribed the origin of the cocoanut to divine 
power. A legend says that a young woman, daughter 
of one of their gods, lived in a cave. She had a lover 
who was god of the eels. When he was compelled to 
leave her, he told her to cut off his head and plant it. 
She did so, and from it sprouted a tree, the parent of 
all the cocoanut trees in the world; on each nut are 
invariably found the two eyes and the mouth of the 
young man. 

The taro root was and is the principal food of the 
natives. It was imported from the South Pacific, and 
from it, when prepared by pounding and fermentation, 
poi is made and many nutritious dishes. The na- 
tives eat poi with their fingers.' The common habi- 
tation of the natives was a grass house, made of a 
very stout, fibrous plant, and having no opening except 
a low door. They kept their food in calabashes and, 
with a few mats to sit and sleep upon, enjoyed life 
without much necessity for work. A few of these grass 
houses may be seen at this day. 

The first king of all the islands, named Kamehameha 
I., died in 1819. He had conquered all the native 
chiefs and reigned supreme. Kamehameha III., under 
the influence of the missionaries, gave the people a con- 
stitution and laws, and also divided the lands between 
himself, the' chiefs, and the people. The language was 
reduced to writing, and young and old learned to read, 
write, and sew. Some industrial schools were also 
established, and a time of prosperity followed, dis- 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



421 




422 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 

turbed mainly by the interference in affairs of the 
islands by foreign officers, whose acts were afterwards 
disallowed by their governments. 

The monarchy continued until 1893, when the queen, 
Liliuokalani, was deposed by the Provisional Govern- 
ment, which afterwards, in 1894, was merged in the 
Hawaiian Republic, proclaimed July 4 of that year by 
President Sanford B. Dole, its first chief magistrate. 
There have been some attempts to restore the ex-queen 
since that time, but these insurrections have been over- 
come without much bloodshed. The president, his 
council, and other officials are mostly Americans, with 
some natives of prominence. The government has 
been administered with a firm hand and with success. 
There is a prevailing sentiment among the people that 
annexation to the United States will give Hawaii 
future peace and prosperity. On the 16th of June, 
1897, a treaty annexing Hawaii to the United States 
was signed by Secretary of State, John Sherman. If 
ratified by the Senate, this country will for the first 
time have extended its boundaries beyond the sea. It 
is expected that an oceanic cable will soon be laid, 
which will connect Hawaii, not only with the United 
States, but also with Australia and other countries. 

Honolulu, on Oahu, is the chief city and capital of 
the islands. Oahu is not the largest island, although 
its harbor has made it the most important. Hawaii, 
the most southern island, is the largest, being about 
the size of the state of Connecticut. Its population, 
however, is scattered, and it has no good harbors where 
ships may approach the wharves. People who land on 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



423 




424 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



any island except at Honolulu must go ashore in boats, 
sometimes through openings in the coral reefs ; and in 
some places they are hoisted, in a sort of cage, to the 
top of a cliff by a crane, which swings them from the 
boat beneath to a platform on the shore. 

Of the present population on these islands, about 
twenty-five thousand are Japanese, most of whom have 
come to work on the sugar plantations ; fifteen thousand 
Chinese, who carry on industrial and agricultural pur- 
suits ; eight thousand Portuguese, many of them emi- 
grants from the Azores; a mixed population of some 
thousands of foreigners; between two and three thou- 
sand Americans, many of whom were born on the islands, 
and about thirty-four thousand natives and half-whites, 
being all that are left of the two hundred thousand 
natives who inhabited the Sandwich Islands when 
discovered by Captain Cook. 

The native race is contented, docile, good-natured, 
and easy going ; the men are excellent sailors, and in 
general appearance both men and women are large and 
rather fine-looking. They love music and deck them- 
selves with flowers, which grow profusely. 

They are easily influenced for good or evil. They 
are able to read and write, live in frame houses, imitate 
the foreigners in their dress, and their children are 
well cared for in schools. A fund of mairy hundred 
thousands of dollars was bequeathed for native educa- 
tion by Mrs. Bernice Panahi Bishop, the last of the 
kingly race, whose memory is perpetuated by the fine 
school buildings, and by a magnificent museum con- 
taining curios and relics of ancient Hawaii. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 



425 



Let us now take a sort of tourist's view of the city of 
Honolulu with its twenty-three thousand inhabitants, 
a picturesque town of many contrasts, both in its popu- 
lation and its scenery. The whites li^e in spacious 
houses, generally of one or two stories, without much 




NATIVE MUSICIANS, HAWAII. 

architectural pretension, but surrounded by a most 
luxuriant vegetation. Areas are filled with tropical 
plants, imported and given away by the government to 
rich and poor alike. The mango, the breadfruit, the mag- 
nolia, the India palm, and the cocoanut tree abound. 
Rare flowers of rich variety bloom on every hand. 
Everywhere one sees the Chinese or Japanese servant 



426 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 

in native costume, the native with flowers woven into 
wreaths for the hat or the neck, and native women 
galloping, always astride, on their rough horses, with 
a lasso tied to the pommels of the saddles. Foreign 
sailors from the men-of-war riding at anchor in the 
safe harbor appear in neat white uniforms. Tramway 
cars, with horses or mules attached, run in the principal 
streets. There are electric lights all over the city, 
telephones to the number of thirteen hundred in use, 
and elegant stores, with rich treasures in the windows 
direct from China and Japan. There is a Chinese 
quarter, where the original customs of the Flowery 
Kingdom may be seen.* All the bustle and stir of an 
enterprising seaport appear in the lower streets and on 
the wharves, which mark a commerce greater than any 
other Pacific port except San Francisco. 

One may see a fine public library; two native churches, 
which will seat from fifteen hundred to two thousand 
people; a Roman Catholic school, with five hundred 
native boys in attendance ; an elegant Protestant church, 
of stone, which cost $130,000; and schoolhouses, one 
of which, the High School, was the most elegant private 
house in the city, built by a princess, but is now occu- 
pied by pupils of the higher grades ; the Lulani palace, 
and the government building. There is every indica- 
tion of American and European thrift and enterprise. 
It is a rare type of New England civilization in a 
variegated setting of tropical scenery and dark-skinned 
races. As the steamers come in from the American 
coast, brown native boys dive for nickels ; and as the 
steamers go out, the passengers are loaded with gar- 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 427 




428 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



lands, and the magic word "Aloha" (Love to you) is 
heard on every side. 

One of the most wonderful and characteristic natural 
features of these beautiful islands, " The Paradise of 
the Pacific," is their volcanoes, active and extinct. On 
the island of Hawaii are two volcanic mountains, 
Mauna Kea and Maun a Loa. From a distance both 
look depressed, scarcely more in appearance than a 
curved line, like the back of a whale; and yet they are 
twelve thousand and fourteen thousand feet in height, 
respectively. On the slope of Mauna Loa, four thousand 
feet from its base, is the active crater of Kilauea, nine 
miles in circumference and three miles in diameter. 

Looking down from the cliffs which inclose the black 
surface of lava, seven hundred feet below, one sees 
steam jets bursting from the seams and crevices. And 
descending, a trail leads, after a walk of two and a 
half miles, to the lake of fire, which lies elevated like 
a low dome amid the heaps of lava, and is the active 
portion of the crater. This lake is about eight hundred 
feet across and one thousand feet in length. It is a 
deep cavity filled nearly to the brim with red-hot lava. 
Burning jets fly twenty or thirty feet into the air and 
fall in fiery spray upon the seething surface. It does 
not throw up cinders or hot stones; its eruptive action 
is not explosive ; but as one stands near its edge, great 
lava cakes roll on each other, while the boiling, surging 
lake spouts fountains of fiery substances into the air, 
twenty or more jets at once. A lurid glare crimsons 
the clouds at night, and the rush of steam from blow 
holes near by fills the air with stupendous noises. 






AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 429 



On the 8th of July, 1894, this fiery lake overflowed 
its banks, and on the 12th the lava surface fell two hun- 
dred and seventy feet in twelve hours, causing the banks 
to fall in on all sides, and engulfing about eight acres 
of the floor of the larger crater. Huge walls, or cliffs, 
stood out boldly about the sunken lake, and billows of 
fire dashed against the sides of the crater. 

The sugar cane, grown on the fertile plateaus of 
these islands, has given millions of wealth to the enter- 
prising white men who have brought thrift and enter- 
prise to bear upon these sunny lands, so that Hawaii 
bids fair to become one of the wealthiest, as well as 
most lovely and salubrious, of all the islands of the sea. 

Were it not for the fact that the scourge of leprosy 
makes it necessary to separate many lepers from the 
people, and to place them on the island of Molokai, 
about fifty miles from Honolulu, this group of islands 
would be almost an ideal habitation. Twelve hundred 
of these poor people, mainly of the native race, are kept 
by the government in comparative comfort, on a penin- 
sula inclosed by lofty cliffs on one side and a billowy 
sea on the other, where everything which is possible is 
done for the amelioration of their condition. Father 
Damien, who went to Molokai in 1873, did much for 
them, but fell a victim to the dread disease sixteen 
years later. 

Putting this one plague spot out of mind as well as 
we can, we may believe, with a recent writer, that an 
inexpressible charm is exercised by lovely Hawaii over 
all who breathe her balmy air. " No alien land in all 
the world," writes Mr. Clemens, "could so longingly 



430 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




A HAWAIIAN BELLE. 



and beseechingly haunt me, sleeping and waking, 
through half a lifetime, as that has done. Other things 
leave me, but that abides. Other things change, but 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 431 



that remains the same. For me, its balmy airs are 
always blowing; its summer seas flashing in the sun; 
the pulsing of its surf beat is in my ear; I can see its 
garlanded crags, its leaping cascades, its plumy palms 
drowsing by the shore, its remote summits floating like 
islands above the cloud rack ; I can feel the spirit of 
its woodland solitude; I can hear the plash of its 
brooks ; in my nostrils still lives the breath of flowers 
that perished twenty years ago." 



CHAPTER XLIII. 

TIERRA DEL EUEGO AND OTHER ISLANDS OF SOUTH 

AMERICA. 

Tierra del Fuego, the "land of fire," comprises a 
group of islands at the southern extremity of South 
America between latitude 52° 40' and 56° south. It 
is separated from the mainland by the long and intri- 
cate Strait of Magellan, while the other sides are 
washed by the three oceans, — the Atlantic, Pacific, and 
Antarctic. The largest island is East Tierra del Fuego, 
or King Charles South Land; the four islands next in 
size are Navarin, Hoste, Clarence, and Desolation. 
There are numberless smaller islands, of which the one 
at the extreme southern point, terminating in Cape 
Horn, is the most remarkable. 

Many mountain peaks on these islands exceed five 
thousand feet in height, and the culminating point is 



432 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



estimated at sixty-eight hundred feet. They are either 
covered with perpetual snow and ice, or clothed with 
stunted forests. 

The climate is intensely disagreeable. Mist, snow, 
and rain, accompanied either with constant storms or 
violent and sudden gusts of wind, follow one another in 
rapid succession. But this climate is far from being 
unfavorable to the native vegetation; and hence in 
some places large woody-stemmed trees of fuchsia and 
veronica, which in our country are treated as tender 
plants, have been seen in flower not far from the base 
of a mountain with two thirds of its height covered 
with snow, and with the temperature at thirty-six de- 
grees. Another peculiar vegetable product is a bright 

yellow edible fungus, about the 
size of a small apple. Sea fowl 
are numerous on the shelving 
cliffs. 

Tierra del Fuego contained, 
when discovered, and still main- 
tains, three distinct tribes of In- 
dians. One tribe resemble the 
Patagonians in color, stature, and 
clothing. Their bodies were 
bulky, their heads and features 
large, but the hands and feet were 
comparatively small. Their color 
was a rich reddish brown. Their 
heads were covered with coarse, thick, black hair. 
They were a land tribe and seldom built canoes. They 
subsisted entirely upon what the land produced. 




YAHGANS. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 433 



Another race occupied the islands lying west of Cock- 
burn Channel. They were natural sailors. They built 
canoes and spent a great deal of time upon the water, 
either for pleasure or to obtain food. 

The third tribe inhabit the islands south of East 
Tierra del Fuego and the very narrow south beach of 
that island itself. They live farther south than any 
other known people, and are called Yahgans. They 
are described by early navigators as low in stature, 
badly proportioned, and evil-looking. Their color is 
between dark copper and bronze. Their coarse, dirty, 
black hair heightens a villainous expression of the 
worst description of savage features. 

The Esquimaux clothe themselves in fur and live in 
huts, which at least give shelter from storm and cold. 
The Yahgans, on the contrary, go nearly if not quite 
naked, and often sleep unsheltered from the frost and 
snow. 

The Falkland Islands belong to Great Britain and 
are about two hundred in number. They are in the 
South Atlantic, two hundred and fifty miles northeast 
of Tierra del Fuego. Only two of these islands are 
of any considerable size, East and West Falkland. The 
former has an area of three thousand square miles and 
the latter two thousand. 

The climate is salubrious and equable, there being 
no extremes of heat or cold. Thunder and lightning 
are rare, but rain and high winds are frequent. There 
are no trees, but in November and December a great 
variety of sweet-scented flowers covers the ground. 



434 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



The tussac grass is the most singular and useful plant 
here. All the small islands of the group are covered 
by it as with miniature palms. 

The Falkland Islands were discovered by Davis in 
1592, and were afterward visited in 1690 by Strong, 
who gave them the name they now bear. They belong 
to Great Britain. 

Juan Fernandez is a rocky island in the Pacific Ocean 
about four hundred miles off the coast of Chili, of 
which it is a dependency. It is eighteen miles long 
and six miles broad and rises to the height of three 
thousand feet above the sea. Its shores are steep, and, 
viewed from the ocean, it presents a desolate appear- 
ance. But the northern half of the island, in which is 
Cumberland Bay, contains some fertile valleys, pro- 
ducing figs, grapes, sandalwood, cork, and other timber 
trees. 

This is the island of Robinson Crusoe. There are two 
instances of men, one of a Mosquito Indian and the other 
of Alexander Selkirk, who lived alone upon this island 
for several years. Selkirk's manner of life during his 
solitude was in most particulars very remarkable ; but 
there is one circumstance which he relates which was 
verified by Mr. Walter, who visited the island thirty- 
two years afterward. Selkirk tells, among other things, 
that he often caught more goats than he wanted; he 
sometimes marked their ears and let them go. The 
first goat killed by Mr. Walter's men at their landing 
had its ears split, whence they concluded that it had 
formerly been under the power of Selkirk. It was an 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 435 




436 



THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



animal of most venerable aspect, and dignified with an 
exceedingly majestic beard. During their stay they 
met with many others marked in the same way. 

The Galapagos Islands form a group in the Pacific 
Ocean on and near the equator, seven hundred and 
thirty miles west of the coast of Ecuador, South Amer- 
ica. There are six principal and seven small islands. 
Albemarle, sixty miles long by fifteen broad, is the 
largest and reaches an elevation of four thousand feet. 
They are of volcanic origin, and much of the surface 
is covered with lava. They derive their name from 
the turtles of enormous size (in Spanish Galapagos) 
which frequent their shores. Iguanas and other reptiles 
are also common. A small colony of Spaniards has been 
planted on Charles Island, forming a penal settlement. 
The other islands are mostly uninhabited. 




CAPE HORN. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 437 



CHAPTER XLIV. 

KURILE, ALEUTIAN, AND PMBILOF ISLANDS. 

The Kurile Islands, numbering about twenty-five, 
stretch from Yesso to the most southerly point of Kam- 
chatka. The archipelago forms part of the Japanese 
Empire, having been exchanged by Russia, only a few 
years ago, for part of an island then belonging to Japan. 
The population is small. 

The nearest island to Yesso is separated from it by a 
channel ten or twelve miles wide. It is mountainous, 
the highest peak being over seven thousand feet high. 
The largest island of the group, northeast of this one, 
is of volcanic formation, and has bold and rugged 
scenery. There is one active volcano, beside a beauti- 
ful volcanic cone rising about four thousand feet above 
the sea. 

Salmon are extremely plentiful, and large numbers 
are caught during July and August, especially at the 
mouths of the rivers. Bears and foxes are numerous 
in all of the larger islands, and in the northern ones 
many seals are captured. 

The inhabitants of the Kuriles belong to a race called 
Ainos. The story of this tribe is an unhappy one. In 
their far northern home they were accustomed to cross 
from one small island to another in their poor little 
canoes, carrying with them all their possessions, con- 
sisting of skin garments and implements for fishing 
and hunting. Their only aim in life was hunting, 
sealing, and fishing. At the command of the Japanese 



438 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 




A KURILE MOTHER AND CHILD. 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 439 



government, their huts were destroyed, they were taken 
on board a ship and carried to this rocky island, where 
there is scarcely any vegetation. 

All over the Kurile Islands are to be seen the re- 
mains of an extinct race of pit dwellers. The present 
inhabitants are wholly ignorant of their ancestors, and 
do not know whether they built structures over pits or 
not. Their own houses or huts are built entirely above 
the ground. 

Until quite lately, the Kurile islanders destroyed 
their huts when they left one island for another. They 
also burnt the huts of persons who died. In connection 
with all the Aino huts is the "skull trophy." It is 
always placed at the east end of the hut on a line 
parallel with its Avail and only a few yards away from it. 
It is constructed of biforked poles. Upon these are 
placed the skulls of the bears, wolves, and foxes killed 
by the owner of the hut. 

In shape, the garments of the men resemble short 
tunics. They are made of sea birds' skins, with the 
feathers on the inside. The garment worn by the 
women is much longer, reaching nearly to the feet. 
The sleeves are very long. In bad Aveather this gar- 
ment is fastened with a girdle and pulled up to the 
knees, showing the long yellow boots. A gayly colored 
handkerchief of Russian make is fastened round the 
back of the head, and another is tied round the neck, 
and thus the women resemble Italian peasants. Moc- 
casins or long boots of salmon skin or seal skin are 
worn by both men and women. 

The Ainos are a small race of people. The average 



4-10 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



height of the men is a little more than five feet and 
two inches ; that of the women, four feet ten inches. 
They are clirty and uncivilized, and have neither 
schools, churches, hospitals, nor public buildings of 
any kind. They are simple, gentle, and courageous. 
Crime among them is rare, and prisons are unknown. 

The Aleutian Islands extend from the Peninsula of 
Kamchatka in Asiatic Russia to the promontory of 
Alaska in North America. They are divided into 
three groups, the one nearest to America being called 
the Fox Islands. All these islands are bare and moun- 
tainous. The coasts are rocky and surrounded by 
breakers. 

The climate is severe, and only for a short time is 
the monotonous rigor of winter interrupted by a cloudy 
spring and a hot summer, both of which are subject to 
sudden changes in temperature. Few trees grow, but 
there are plenty of low scrubby bushes of birch, willow, 
and alder, beside grasses, moss, and lichens. Timber 
for building purposes is obtained from driftwood 
brought by the Japan Current. The people employ 
themselves in hunting and fishing or in making imple- 
ments for the prosecution of these industries. Fur 
traders have settlements here for the capture of seals 
and sea otters, which abound on the coasts, and of the 
Arctic fox, which roams over the islands. Dogs and 
reindeer are common. 

The population numbers about two thousand people. 
The natives are a race kindred to the Kamchatkans. 
They are low in stature, but plump and well built, 






AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 441 




442 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



with short necks, swarthy faces, black eyes, and long, 
straight black hair. Nominally they are Christians, 
having been converted by the missionaries of the Greek 
Church. The islands form a part of Alaska Territory, 
and belong to the United States. 

A great many kinds of birds frequent the islands in 
the summer time, while some remain throughout the 
entire year. Among them are various kinds of gulls, 
ducks, and owls. The Pacific eider duck, the rock 
ptarmigan, and the tufted puffin are the most valuable. 

The Pribilof Islands, in the Bering Sea, consist of 
the islands of St. Paul and St. George with several 
islets. They were discovered in 1786 by the Russian 
navigator Pribilof. They are far enough south to be 
beyond the reach of permanent ice floes, and far enough 
from the mainland and the Aleutian Islands to have 
remained unknown to savage men. Hence they afforded 
the seal the happiest shelter and isolation, for their posi- 
tion is such as to surround and envelop them with fog 
banks that fairly shut out the light of the sun nine days 
out of ten during the summer, which is the breeding 
season. Ocean currents from the Pacific, warmer than 
the normal temperature of that latitude, coming up 
from the south, ebb and flow around the islands. About 
the end of October cold, strong winds from the Siberian 
steppes carry on the moisture and clear up the air. By 
the end of January they usually bring great fields of 
broken ice from the north, and until May or June the 
islands are completely ice bound. 

Nearly half of the shore of St. Paul is a sandy beach, 



AUSTRALIA AND THE ISLANDS OF THE SEA. 443 



while on St. George there is less than a mile of it all 
put together. Just above the Garden Cove Beach, 
under the overhanging bluffs, several thousand sea lions 
hold exclusive possession. On the north side of St. 
George Island, a grand bluff wall rises abruptly from 
the sea. Upon its numberless shelf margins, and in 
its countless chinks and crannies, millions upon mil- 
lions of water fowl breed during the summer months. 

Six miles southwest of St. Paul is a bluffy islet called 
the Russians' Otter Island, because in olden times the 
Russians are said to have captured thousands of sea 
otters on its stony coast. Six miles east of this is a 
small rock called Walrus Island, which is frequented 
every summer by hundreds of male walrus, to the 
exclusion of the other sex. This rocky islet is also 
the home of tens of thousands of screaming water fowl. 
The inhabitants of St. Paul resort for eggs to this 
island, where, in a few hours, tons of them may be ob- 
tained. Were it not for this, they would be obliged 
to go to the westward, and suspend themselves over 
lofty cliffs by means of ropes, as their neighbors at 
St. George are only too glad and willing to do. 

Since the United States have controlled these islands, 
the condition of the inhabitants has been greatly im- 
proved. The houses in Avhich the natives live were 
built by the Alaska Commercial Company. The 
agents of the company instruct the people about beau- 
tifying their homes and keeping them clean. 

A schoolhouse was built on each of the two large 
islands by the company. At first the older people looked 
upon the enterprise with suspicion; they feared that if 



444 THE WORLD AND ITS PEOPLE. 



the children forgot the Russian language, they would 
also forget their religion. The government officer had 
told them that it was absolutely necessary to have an 
English school kept ; that the company paid the money, 
and the children would be obliged to attend. The 
matter was talked over, and it was finally agreed that 
the children should go to the English school from nine 
o'clock to twelve, and that from one o'clock until nine 
the next morning, if they wished it, they should have 
the use of the building and fuel in order to teach them 
Russian. The two languages used on the islands are 
the Aleut and the Russian. The Aleut is the common 
language, and the Russian is the language of trade. In 
time, English will take the place of Russian. 

Each island has its church, which is the Greek 
Church. The bishop resides in San Francisco, and 
visits the islands occasionally. 

In 1896 British and American commissioners were 
appointed to investigate the seal-fishery question. In 
1897 the government of the United States attempted to 
make a temporary arrangement with Great Britain, pro- 
viding that joint measures be employed for the better 
protection of the herds against indiscriminate slaughter. 
The attempt did not succeed, partly because the British 
commission does not believe the extinction of the herds 
to be so imminent as the American commission believes 
it to be. The same commissioners were reappointed in 
1897, and the United States assigned three revenue 
cutters to do patrol duty. In addition, a special high 
commissioner was dispatched to England for official 
conference on the subject. 



INDEX. 



Abaco, 179. 

Adelaide, 40. 

iEgean Sea, 321. 

Ainos, 439. 

Ajaccio, 295. 

Alderney, 266, 271. 

Aleutian Is., 440. 

Althing, 117, 126, 128. 

Andaman, 351. 

Andros, 179. 

Augra, 248. 

Ankova, 331. 

Antananarivo, 333. 

Anticosti, 171. 

Antigua, 238. 

Antilles, Lesser and Greater, 187. 

Apia, 405. 

Arafura Sea, 14. 

Arctic Archipelago, 159. 

Atolls, 65. 

Auckland, 88. 

Australia, 13. 

Azores, 248. 

Bahamas, 177. 

Balearic Isles, 282. 

Barbados, 233. 

Batavia, 364. 

Beche-de-mer (bash'cfe mar) , 70, 72. 

Bermudas, 172. 

Bischoff , Mount, 76. 

Bonifacio Strait, 288. 

Bornabi Group, 385. 

Borneo, 351, 357. 

Bourbon, 339. 

Bridgetown, 233. 

Brisbane, 36. 

Cagliari, 291. 
Calao, 375. 
Canary Is., 255. 



Cape Breton I., 165. 

Cape Verdls., 242. 

Cap Haitien, 211. 

Caribs, 241. 

Caroline Is., 383. 

Carpentaria, Gulf of, 14, 15. 

Carrinho, 260, 264. 

Carro, 263, 264. 

Ceiba, 191, 228. 

Celebes, 351, 375. 

Cephalonia, 314. 

Ceylon, 364. 

Channel Is., 266. 

Charlottetown, 169, 171. 

Christophe, 211. 

Citta Vecchia (vek'ke a) , 312. 

Cockatoo, 48, 374. 

Cod fisheries, 161. 

Colossus of Rhodes, 327. 

Columbus, 200, 209, 220, 226, 239. 

Cook Is., 414; Captain, 60, 84, 410 

Coolies, 192, 201. [418 

Coral polyp, 64 ; Reefs, 65. 

Corfu, 316. 

Corsica, 295. 

Cowes, 276. 

Cradle Mount, 75. 

Crete, 319. 

Crusoe, Robinson, 434. 

Cryolite, 101. 

Cuba, 187, 190. 

Curacao, 237. 

Cyprus, 328. 

Delos, 322. 
Dingo, 51. 
Dominica, 241. 
Dori, 371. 
Douglas, 277. 
Duck Is., 109. 
Dyak, 358, 362. 



445 



446 



INDEX. 



Elba, 297. 

Esquimaux, 96, 103, 106, 151. 

Etna, Mount, 301. 

Falkland Is., 433. 
Faroes, 137. 
Fiji Is., 392. 
Fogo Volcano, 242. 
Freeman-tie, 40. 
Friendly Is., 410. 
Funchal, 261. 

Galapagos Is., 436. 

Georgetown, 169. 

Geysers, 92, 120. 

Gilbert Is., 388. 

Glaciers, 102. 

Godhaven, 100. 

Godthaab, 100. 

Gold, 15, 26, 52. 

Great Australian Bight, 14, 17. 

Great Barrier Coral Reef, 60. 

Grecian Archipelago, 321. 

Greenland, 95. 

Guadeloupe, 240. 

Guernsey, 266, 270. 

Haiti, 207. 

Hamilton, 172; Alexander, 238. 

Havana, 193. 

Hawaii, 418. 

Hebrides, 145. 

Hecla, Mount, 115, 118. 

Heligoland, 279. 

Herm, 270, 273. 

Hobart, 77. 

Hogolen, 385. 

Honolulu, 425. 

Hovas, 335. 

Hyppolite, 212. 

Iceland, 112. 
Ida, Mount, 319. 
Igloo, 103. 

Independence Bay, 96. 
Ionian Is., 314. 
Isle of Man, 276. 



Isle of Wight, 273. 

Ivigtut, 101. 

Iviza (e ve'sa) , 287. 

Jamaica, 213. 
Jamestown, 245. 
Java, 351, 363. 
Jersey, 266, 268. 
Jethon, 270. 

Jokul, 114 ; Skapta, 119. 
Juan Fernandez, 434. 

Kane Basin, 96. 

Kangaroo, 50. 

Kara Sea, 150. 

Kauri Tree (ka'u re) , 90. 

Kava (ka'va) , 406, 413. 

Kingsley, Charles, 230. 

Kingston, 215. 

Kirkwall,' 141. 

Knights of St. John, 326. 

Kosciusko, Mount, 17. 

Kurile Is., 437. 

Laccadive Is., 344. 
Ladrones, 388. 
Lady Eliot I., 60, 66. 
Launceston, 76. 
Leeward Is., 187. 
Lerwick, 143. 
Lewis I., 146. 
Liliuokalani, Queen, 422. 
Lincoln Sea, 96. 
Lofoden Is., 156. 
Louisburg, 167. 
Loyalty Is., 399. 
Luzon, 379. 

Macassar, 376 ; Strait, 356 
Madagascar, 330. 
Madeira, 261. 
Maelstrom, 157. 
Majorca, 282. 
Malay Archipelago, 350. 
Maldive Is., 348. 
Mali, 349. 
Malietoa, 403. 



INDEX. 



447 



Mallorcan tombs, 284. 
Malta, 309. 
Manila, 379. 
Maoris, 84, 92, 95. 
Mari, 399. 
Marianne Is., 388. 
Marshall Is., 388. 
Martinique, 237* 
Matanzas, 206. 
Mauna Kea, 428. 
Mauna Loa, 428. 
Mauritius, 336. 
Melbourne, 26. 
Melville Land, 159. 
Messina Strait, 301. 
Mestizos, 380. 
Mindanao, 379. 
Minorca, 287. 
Miquelon, 171. 
Moluccas, 351, 365, 374. 
Monte Pellegrino, 306. 
Montserrat, 239. 
Moreton Bay, 66. 
Morty L, 351. 
Mother-of-pearl, 69, 70. 
Mount Lofty Range, 42. 
Murray E., 14, 18. 
Myall tree, 46. 

Napoleon, 210, 246, 296, 299. 

Nassau, 181. 

Nevis, 238. 

New Caledonia, 399. 

Newfoundland, 160. 

New Guinea, 369. 

New Hebrides, 397. 

Newport, 275. 

New Providence, 179, 184. 

New Siberia, 151. 

New South Wales, 20. 

New Zealand, 22, 82. 

Nicobar, 351. 

Nicosia, 329. 

Nova Zembla, 150. 

Odin, 132, 133. 
Ogygia I., 309. 



Orang-outang, 357. 
Orkney Is., 141. 

Palembang, 361. 

Palermo, 306. 

Palma, 283. 

Papeete, 416. 

Papua, 369. 

Paria, Gulf of, 227. 

Patmos, 323. 

Peary, Lieutenant R. E., 96, 98. 

Pelee, Mount, 238. 

Pelewls., 383. 

Perth, 40. 

Peter Botte Mountain, 336. 

Petermann's Peak, 96. 

Philippine Is., 378. 

Pico, Mount, 248. 

Poi, 420. 

Point e-a-Pitre, 240. 

Ponce, 221. 

Ponce de Leon, 224. 

Ponta Delgada, 248. 

Port Jackson, 31. 

Port Louis, 336. 

Port Mahon, 287. 

Port of Spain, 227. 

Porto Ferrajo, 297. 

Porto Rico, 220. 

Port Philip, 26, 30. 

Pribilof Is., 442. 

Prince Albert Land, 159. 

Prince Edward I., 168. 

Queensland, 20, 36, 52, 74 
Quetta, 62. 

Reikiavik, 114, 123. 
Reunion, 339. 
Rheneia, 322. 
Rhodes, 323. 
Robeson Channel, 96. 
Roseau, 241. 

St. Denis, 339. 
St. George, 442. 
St. Helena, 243. 



448 



INDEX. 



St. Heliers, 269. 

St. John, 239, 323, 324. 

St. John's, 163. 

St. Kilda, 26, 30. 

St. Kitts, 238. 

St. Michael, 248. 

St. Paul, 320; Island, 442. 

St. Peter Port, 270. 

St. Pierre, I., 171 ; Town, 237. 

St. Vincent, 237 ; Gnlf of, 15. 

Samana Bay, 207. 

Samoan Is., 403. 

Sandridge, 26. 

San Juan, 221. 

San Salvador, 177. 

Santa Maura, 314. 

Santiago de Cuba, 206. 

Sarawak, 354. 

Sardinia, 288. 

Sark, 266, 272. 

Scio, 323. 

Seals, 108, 442, 444. 

Shetland Is., 141. 

Sicily, 299. 

Singapore, 350, 354. 

Skapta Jokul, 119. 

Skye, 146. 

Snorre Sturleson, 122. 

Society Is., 414. 

Sokotra, 342. 

Solent, 273. 

Solomon Is., 389. 

South Australia, 20, 40. 

Spencer Gulf, 15. 

Spice Is., 374. 

Spithead, 273. 

Spitzbergen, 96, 153. 

Sponge fishery, 186. 

Staffa, 148. 

Stevenson, R. L., 410. 

Stewart Is., 82. 

Stromness, 143. 

Sumatra, 351, 357, 360. 

Sunda, Is., 351; Strait, 360. 

Swan E., 40. 

Sydney, Austr., 31 ; Cape Breton, 166. 



Tahiti, 414, 416. 

Tamar R., 75. 

Tasmania, 22, 23, 74. 

Teneriffe, 255 ; Peak of, 256, 258. 

Tennyson, 276. 

Tenos, 322. 

Tbingvalla, 125, 127. 

Thor, 131, 132. 

Thorshavn, 137. 

Thursday I., 67. 

Tierra del Fuego, 431. 

Timor Sea, 14 ; Island, 369. 

Tobago, 227. 

Tofua, 412. 

Torres Strait, 14, 60. 

Toussaint L'Ouverture, 210. 

Trinidad, 226. 

Upernavik, 100. 
Upolu, 405. 

Valdemosa, 285. 
Valetta, 309. 
Van Dieman's Land, 74. 
Victoria, 20, 26. 
Volante, 197. 
Volcanoes, 117, 238, 353. 

Waikato R., 86. 
Wallaby, 50. 
Walrus, 106. 
Watling I., 179. 
Wellington, 84; Mount, 77. 
Western Australia, 20, 40. 
West Indies, 187. 
Windward Is., 187. 
Wombat, 80. 
Wooloomooloo, 33. 

Yahgans, 433. 
Yarmouth, 276. 
Yarra R., 26. 
York, Cape, 15. 

Zante, 314. 
Zanzibar, 340, 341. 



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